Cheese and Sake Night

The Perfect setting in the Heart of Swan valley. What more can you ask for? Although it was chilly the atmosphere was set in warm cozy comfortable setting. There were 3 table settings to utilise the comfortable space. 

The Cheese barrel staff have worked hard to create the beautiful table setting arrangement for each of the guest on arrival. It was a fully booked out scene for the first night. 

Customers were given our special sparkling sake from Ozeki Corporation Hana-awaka to welcome them to the sake world and palates were stunned at first taste.

The first introduction was with first Cheese Kyrten Chevre Ash . On the first bite everybody enjoyed the lovely creaminess of the cheese it went down pretty fast with nothing left. 

The Cheese – Fresh, crisp and clean best describes this fresh goat’s cheese. Delicious smothered in runny honey and crushed walnuts or spread generously on sourdough with sweet, ripe vine tomatoes.
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I paired this cheese with Urakasumi Junmai from Miyagi prefecture.  It is a 3-temp sake that can be enjoyed at all temperatures.
In the aroma you enjoy the fruity notes and some hint of toasted nuts. Palate is well-balance it is not too sweet or dry and perfect straight road type of sake.
With the cheese is feels creamy but yet so smooth which allows it to balance on the palate.

The Second Have OMG triple cream
The Cheese – This sumptuous triple cream white mould cheese is made by a similar process to a camembert, but with the addition of a small proportion of cream to the cheese-milk to enrich the texture and flavor.  The rind is white when young, maturing to a straw colour when fully ripened. 

The Sake– Koshi-goi Junmai Ginjo – This ginjo sake has a crisp flavour enveloped by a gentle and faint aroma. Yamada Nishiki brewer’s rice is polished to 50% and the chief brewer’s skills used to the fullest to age this sake at low temperature and create a balanced and mild brew. A dry and bright taste with a distinctive flavour at its core. Enjoy a depth and richness of flavour.

When paired with the cheese Saltiness and silky texture sets the palate full of flavour , with Koshi-goi Junmai Ginjo cuts through the saltiness which balances the palate to enjoy silky cheese.

Customers hunger to creamy silky melted look couldnt stop them grabbing the crackers on the side to scoop it in one whole mouth-fill. The acceptance to the Koshigoi-Junmai Yamadanishiki Ginjo was welcome straight away to customers palate the extra smoothness and clean style left a pleasing statement.

The 3rd Cheese- Jensen Red
The Cheese – Light brine is smeared over the surface to encourage the growth of Brevi Bacterium. The vivid red is produced with Annatto (a natural food colouring). The outer texture is firm, sticky and salty.The interior is smooth and buttery with a full round flavour. A sensational Australian washed rind.

The Sake – Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai–  Using the Sake Specific rice Gohyakuman -Goku this type of rice brings out the natural origin of Niigata prefecture which is light simple and delicate with kire (clean cut finish). The water used is from the melted snow of Mount Hakkai  this is why the sake is
soft and clean like you really taste the water .

When paired with the Jensen Red - The vivid red is produced with Annatto(natural food colouring) The outer is texture is firm , stick and salty . The interior is smooth and buttery with full round flavour. With Hakkaisan the kire clean cut finish takes away the saltiness from the Jensen red and allows the cheese to become softer flavour.

The Jensen red reaction divided the night but when paired the sake it went down rather quickly. Hakkaisan had captured peoples palates with the soft and clean style and extra smooth slight mellow richness of the rice .

the Fourth cheese
The Cheese – Landana 500 days aged gouda from the Netherlands . Aged 500 days bringing the presence of salt crystals in the cheese . Lovely butterscotch, nutty
, caramel flavours
The Sake –Sawahime Junmai Gold ( Prototype)– It is aged for 2 years as the Master states it taste better with aged. This preferably to have at room temperature to balance out the rich umami flavour sweetness giving you the dry light taste which doesn’t linger on the palate.
When paired with the cheese : both have aged characteristics provides a perfect contrast that builds up in layers where both cheese and sake are the heroes.

The highlight was the sake in this pairing. The Sawahime Junmai Gold rose up the expectations of the Landana on the palate. Although mix feelings peoples palates with being put to the test. 

the fifth cheese of the night : Healy's Cheddar
The Cheese – The curds are formed into rounds, clothbound, pressed on an antique Victorian bed press and matured in a humid cellar (12 months for the 18kg rounds). The result is a slightly sweet (honey) crumbly cheese with subtle herbaceous flavours.

The Sake – Dancing Ippin Plum Nigori - Nigori Sake is a cloudy or opaque prescence of sake lees which provide a white creamy colour: Dancing rabbit is unique. Brew Sake until 10% alcohol with Moromi. Light filtering with kilt. So white collar is from Rice. After this, we add fresh Ume Juice and control taste. Which will bring the alcohol to 5%vWith this sake it creates a beautiful texture and plum flavour with the sake lees . Creamy and well balance of plum
goodness . Drink preferably very cold.
When paired with The slightly sweet(honey) crumbly cheese with subtle herbaceous flavour the texture which was grainy but completely dissolved with Ippin Plum Nigori unfiltered sake lees. Creating creamy but beautiful texture match

The customers reaction the majority had experienced what was expected. Some customers reaction were abit confused or taken back by the cloudy sake presence but still willing to give it go anyways. Everybody felt it didn't taste like sake  more like creamy texture juice compared to the other sakes.

The last cheese of the Night : Italian Blue Gorzonola
The Cheese – blue cheese is definitely a challenge for most people. But this blue cheese is not as powerful. The Italian Gorgonzola blue displayed lovely sweet caramel with occasional hints of salt it is creamy texture that melts nicely on the palate accompanied with

The Sake –Koshu (means matured sake) this is aged sake that was brewed 2007 and preserved in a tank. It has matured aroma , smokey and rich in taste which resembles a whisky or a guinness beer. The flavour starts out really bold and heavy body but suddenly disappears with cleansing on the palate which doesn't linger.

When Paired with the cheese Both have Aged characteristics provides a perfect contrast that builds up in layers where both cheese and sake are the heroes.

As blue cheese is still a challenge with most people , customers still gave it a go anyways . The sake was surprisingly well receive, people commented on mostly the age style and how it was made. 

To end the night we had door prize for our guest, the secret ticket was hidden under the lucky winner. Congratulations to our guest Henry Chan.

​The Overall night exceeded expectations and customers left the night with their minds open to the sake world and their love for great local delicious cheese. It was great interact with new customers and welcome them to the sake world in the Swan Valley.