A new Discovery to sake for people in York

York which is 95.9km from Perth which is about 1 hour and 20mins driving on National Highway and Great Southern Highway. The York festival is an annual festive event which is to honour the WARA art sculptures ( Wara art is Giant sculptures made from straw every year these dedicated artists construct beautiful artwork that is breathtaking which you encounter their hard work and effort. This year a special day was organised to celebrate A day of Japan it was the first time west Australians from the town of the York to celebrate and appreciate the wonderful Japanese culture and of course Japanese Sake.

Sake Marlakey was held in Gallery 152 , Japanese Sake stations were organized to allow guests to interact with the tasting event as well as the flow of the Gallery. 6 beautiful sakes were a showcase for this event to allow the guests from York to really experience a diversity of sake.

What most intrigued our guests was the different flavour profile that each sake made them feel, guests were really honest with their feelings towards the rice brew and stated which one they were accustomed to and reasons for the sake there were not. 

This demonstrates as I have been stating for so many years everybody tastes are different from each other. In the sake world, we don't expect you to love all sake, we are only human, the point of the matter is at least you kinda understand which kind of sake you do favour and why you don't.

Our York guest was eager to try and also ask questions regarding the rice brew, and the same perception which always gets a mention about sake had risen again. Unless you have experience the journey and unless someone makes you understand you can't genuinely appreciate what Sake stands for.


Blind tasting: 
As I was a solo act I couldn't cater to everyone at the same time while they were waiting for the tasting, so I had created a self-interaction station called  "Test your palate" where guests can interact with the activity while waiting to try the sake. This station held 3 sakes dressed un Kimono wrap, the activity aimed to test guests' palates if they can remember the taste from the tasting selection. Guests are instructed to name the sake in number order to win a Prize.

This activity was really fun for the guests, and all the guests were more than willing to participate. The mood rose with guests having a good time with sake that made guests willing to savour the experience. ​

A highlight of the sakes was divided. As the guests' palates on the night were diverse.
Junmai VS Junmai Ginjo VS Junmai Daiginjo

There was no winner with this the range my selection I had chosen was enough to cater to most people's palates which demonstrates that one sake category cannot cater to all. 

Junmai :
Sawahime vs Hakkaisan - Guests who like this range were into the red wines category, "give it to me bold and full of flavor." These guests enjoyed how it created layers of flavor every time they sip and made the journey feel longer, that all they wanted was more. 
 I had Sawahime Yamahai Junmai served at room temperature for this effect as I wanted to guest to enjoy this lingering experience from Yamahai,

Hakkaisan there was a clash between certain guests maybe I could have served this at room temperature also to get a more accurate response. This was served cold as I wanted the guest to feel that water texture of the sake which Hakkaisan Sake Brewery is famous for using, which had intrigued me with Hakkaisan Tokubetsu upon my first discovery with its experience. 
Some guests enjoyed the softness of the palate, drinking at ease where others felt it didn't have too much of an effect on them. But clearly, I stated to them the temperature was the key of the character profile we would to accurate analyse customers who didn't like the sake or they didn't like the temperature it was served at? 


Junmai Ginjo
Let me experience a pure texture!

Hakutsuru vs Urakasumi - guests who enjoyed these ranges were into mostly white wines I love it silky and smooth and deliciously sweet. 
Guest who enjoyed with Hakutsuru Superior Junmai Ginjo  were captivated on how soft and elegant it made their palates feel that made the experience so inviting. As Hakutsuru Superior Junmai Ginjo uses the spring water from Miyamizu it is only fitting to state the experience was what was expected.\
Urakasumi Junmai Ginjo Zen rose to this occasion for the elegant rice presence the sweetness from the rice were drawn to guest followed by the indulgement of silky smoothness. Some guest stated it was comparable to  white wine. 


Junmai Daiignjo
Ippin vs Chiyomusubi
Let the rice shine in character! both sakes were served at room temperature as I wanted to create the character in both sakes which made the sakes shine more. Ippin brought forth that chewy mouthfeel that you could mistake for Tokubetsu Junmai making like smooth mouthfeel but if we're to have it cold it would be dry and clean the viscosity of the rice would become apparent towards the end. Chiyomusibi Junmai Daiginjo shines more at room temperature when it isn't paired with anything. The gentle mouth feel of Tottori rice becomes more apparent allowing guest savour rice notes which make Tottori proud along with smooth mouthfeel coating around the palate.

Wherever I may go
Where ever the Sake World wants to take me ,
one thing I always can guarantee
You can always have a good time with Japanese Sake
Sake will always leave a smile in your Heart!
No Sake ! No Life!