Enrich your knowledge of sake while having a good time around a fabulous bottle. We propose you this composition including Gautier Roussille's book, Nihonshu, Japanese sake, and this magnificent Daïginjo from Hayashi Honten, at the price of 63€. It is a great gift idea for all the curious, wine and spirits lovers, and lovers of Japan! A really complete book! (available in enflish)
The book - about the author, Gautier Roussille
An agricultural engineer, oenologist and graduate of HEC Paris, Gautier Roussille works and lives in Burgundy. Fascinated by wines and spirits, he shares with us in a few lines his experience and the path that led him to write this book.
"I discovered sake in 2006, during my first trip to Japan. It was still very difficult to find information in English or French and the servers at the Izakaya (traditional bar/restaurant) were not very helpful. It was only when I came back to France that I was able to learn a little more about this drink, whose cultural depth and gustatory interest I found very interesting. In 2012, it was during a tasting organized with producers that I met the man who was going to welcome me for a season in his kura. Trained as an oenologist, I needed to get a first-hand look at the mysteries of the production of this divine beverage in order to discover its mechanisms. Once there, however, it was not an easy task, because although my hosts were very welcoming, the Japanese do not give away their secrets so easily.
It is only by forging numerous hypotheses on the reasons for this or that practice, by cross-checking these observations with my knowledge of the world of wine, and by constantly questioning all the sake professionals who passed by (sometimes with a lot of gestures and drawings...) that I was able to gradually lift the veil. When I came back to France, I didn't want these efforts and the accumulated knowledge to be lost. So I continued my research work by compiling all the published scientific works on sake and by interviewing many Japanese experts. After five years of work, I published "Nihonshu: Japanese Sake" in order to make this knowledge accessible to all."
The Book - Nihonshu: Japanese Sake, a reference book
In a simple but rigorous language, he methodically reveals to us the process of sake making. It is a book for all who wish to understand sake, its ingredients and production methods, from the novice to the oenologist, the sommelier and the wine and spirit lover. Four main themes are covered: raw materials, fermentation, maturation and tasting.
A magnificent sake to accompany this fine work.
With Hyakujuro Junmaï Daïginjo, you enter directly into the world of ultra-quality sake, with the top-of-the-range from Hayashi Honten. The nose is very elegant, nicely perfumed, and relatively discreet. The mouth is remarkably structured, deep, complex. It takes us in a whirlwind of generous and well-controlled flavours, well balanced by a present acidity. We come back to the finish with a lot of freshness and a rare sharpness. The sensation of sweetness is light, and as a result, this is a sake that is easy to drink throughout the meal.
Our recommendation of pairing: to be enjoyed as an aperitif while tasting fresh, with oysters and other beautiful shells. To sublimate your experience, we recommend the Daïginjo glasses from Shotoku.
About the brewery
Hayashi Honten is located on the southern edge of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. It is owned by a woman, representing the 5th generation of owners of this typical family brewery. Hayashi Honten masters a wide variety of production techniques, from ancient methods with the Yamahaï, to the most modern techniques for pure Daïginjo, without forgetting the aged sake of the Koshu type.
