Sake Nomi by Cindy Ikeda, Etta’s Server
Sake Nomi is a sake tasting room located in Pioneer Square. It was created by Johnnie and Taiko Stroud, with the vision of introducing sake to Americans. You can get a lot of information off their website.
The tastings are $5 and the fee is waved with any purchase from the shop, and that includes glass pours that start at $8. All the sake is served in kikijoko, traditional tasting cups used by sake breweries to assess the color, clarity, and brilliance of their sake. Here are some of the ones we tried and the notes I have on them:
Tenryo Koshu Junmai Daiginjo (Gifu)- slight gold tint with mild koshu sweetness in fragrance and flavor. Rich, yet gentle and mild. Soft, light mouth feel. Brewed with “flower yeast,” and bottle aged for 3 years. Goes well with sushi. Very nice. $16
Taiheikai “Pacific Ocean” Tokubetsu Junmai (Ibaraki)- Unfiltered. Thin golden color with melon and tropical fruit sweetness. Round, deep, and delicious. Loads of umami- definite favorite of Taiko and Johnnie, from Taiko’s home region. Named for the brewery’s location close to the coast, and their hope is to one day ship across the Pacific to the U.S. $10
Otokoyama “Man’s Mountain” Todubetsu Junmai (Hokkaido)- Rich, dry, and crisp. Amber tint with faint melon sweetness. Smokiness also present. Otokoyama is the number one selling premium sake in the U.S. $8
Sake is 2,000 years old and is brewed like beer. The price of sake is determined by how long the milling process is, with most sake being pasteurized twice. Cold fermentation. All the sake served at the tasting was served chilled. We got to try 8 different glass pours.
The room is really neat. Johnnie did most of the work himself. Go down and see for yourselves; it’s a nice experience.
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