Connection (Link 8888) [Sake Diary]

It happened on the way to a client's office.

That day was the day of the presentation. I had practiced repeatedly and prepared answers for anticipated questions. I was fully prepared. I left the office and was on my way to the subway station.

Alright! Let's do this today! As all the members were psyching ourselves up,

Hmm?

Something I shouldn't have found came into my field of vision. A "long wallet" was on the roof of a parked compact car...

It was obvious that if I picked up the lost item and took it to the police, I wouldn't make it to the presentation in time. However, as I hesitated, thinking about how I couldn't just pretend not to see it and then give the presentation with a guilty conscience...

Oh!

◇◇

When I peered into the car, there was a figure in the driver's seat.

Knock knock

I tapped on the passenger side window. A young man with messy hair, looking a bit rebellious, took his eyes off his smartphone and glared at me. He looked like he wanted to say, "What do you want!"

I pointed upward with a gesture again.

!?

He seemed to realize what it was! He scrambled out of the car in a panic. Once he grabbed the wallet, his attitude changed completely. He bowed deeply and said,

"Thank you so much!!"

It was a pleasant, refreshing voice. I had to hurry; I had an 80 million yen business deal to get to... As I turned the corner toward the station, a figure caught my eye; the young man was still standing there, facing me. Once again, the voice saying, "Thank you so much!" echoed behind me.

◇◇

I have a habit of picking things up. I am a 'lost and found officer'.

I have even picked up a wallet at a bank ATM. It's quite a silly thing to come to withdraw money and forget your wallet, but it is a fact.
And I am still connected to the owner of that wallet (she). We have been friends for about 30 years, since we were both in our 20s, and our families are close.
It's a mysterious fate, isn't it? We have the same conversation every time we meet. (laughs)

I really want to have a drinking party soon where we can enjoy idle conversation as a side dish...

◇◇

Why does this topic turn into a [Sake Diary]?

It's because of this!

Yes, this is a joint project between 'Masuda Sake Brewery', which owns the famous sake 'Masuizumi', and 'CHIVAS BROTHERS', which owns the famous 'Chivas Regal'.
It is called 'Link 8888'.

I bought it at the end of last year (2020/12) for the New Year. It was expensive sake, so I didn't have the heart to drink it all at once. Today, I finally finished it.

Also, the day after I bought this 'Link 8888', kojuro wrote an article on note about an '8888' (repeating digits) festival, and I felt a mysterious causality. What is coincidence?

◇◇

Sake fans! Sorry to keep you waiting.
Here is the introduction and impression.

What makes this sake a joint project is that it uses barrels that aged Chivas Regal to age Masuizumi sake.
Moreover, after aging various brands of Masuizumi in barrels, they are blended using the Scotch whisky technique of blending.

To get closer to the taste the blender had in mind,
if there is not enough acidity, they add more barrel-aged sake with acidity; if there is not enough umami... they combine the unevenness of each flavor to finish it to the ideal taste. I think this is a technique not found in sake.

◇◇

Finally, the impression (sweat)
I pour it into a glass. For something aged in barrels, the color is only slightly yellow.

First, the aroma.

It has the scent of aged sake. It is a thick, syrupy aroma.
If someone told me it was whiskey, I could faintly sense that as well. Since it is an aged sake, it has a mellow, rich fragrance.

"Delicious!"

Taking a sip, I feel the 'umami' first. This is an unusual sake.

Usually, you get acidity first, then sweetness, and the umami follows gradually, but this one is different.
First, a thick, complex umami hits you. Following that, acidity spreads primarily across the front of the tongue. The sweetness is light and restrained, like honey; it feels like sake, yet somehow not like sake at all. This is the power of collaboration, the power of 'En' (connection).

◇◇

Finally, regarding snacks that pair well...
Hmm...

Rather than heavily seasoned meat, it pairs better with meat seasoned lightly to bring out the natural flavors—duck would be a good 'duck' (pun intended). For fish, grilled eel (shirayaki) or salmon would be easy to pair. I also think smoked cheese would be good.

Father's Day is coming up soon.
It is a bit expensive, but it seems it is still available. Definitely check it out!

Oh, that's right, why '8888'?
It is because the Chivas and Masuizumi breweries are '8888km' apart. Surprisingly close, or perhaps far—which do you think?

Brand: Link 8888 (Batch No. 3)
Blend (Junmai Daiginjo 35%, wine yeast sake, etc.)
Alcohol content: 16%
Uses Chivas Regal aging casks
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sweetness 2, Acidity 3, Bitterness 2, Umami 5, Aroma 3
Price: 5,500 yen, Cost-performance: △ (Delicious, but expensive)

(The End)