I was surprised to hear your guest say that sake is brewed to be at its best at 18 months. Everything I have read, and everything I have been told at all the sake tastings I have been to, is that sake is meant to be consumed as young as possible, except in the case of Koshu.

I have had some amazing sake, but still think, for the money, I can find a wine I prefer more.

Awesome episode. I would love to see a Sake show full time!

QOTD:Hannover Germany, May 2008. I had my first real German bier and haven’t looked back since.

Very glad to see saké back on the show…though wish Beau had been able to speak more about the subject. Sometimes you’ve got to step back and let a man (especially one with as much knowledge and passion about the subject)talk and say his piece. I highly recommend his True Saké newsletter to anyone wanting to learn more. QOTD: It was a rather humble beginning, but a sales rep brought me a Basque-country white to try in my early days of retail and I haven’t looked back since. How satisfying it is to find something that you can really devote yourself to.

That was fun, and definitely interesting! Thanks guys! I have almost no sake experience, but will try to change this!

QOTD:

1)I got into cooking when I took a class I high school. Holy cow, I can make food that tastes good – exactly the way I want. Also like the science experiment aspect of cooking.

2)I got into beer during a trip to Germany after college graduation. Never liked beer in college – but after trying some German offering, things started changing.

3)There wasn’t a real moment for wine. Took a course in school. Started tasting and learning more. Kept going at it…

Wow! That was a fun fun fun episode! I am so motivated to go to the liquor store right now and try some good quality Sake. Thank you so much for this episode. I am incredibly fascinated by the history and science of Sake. I learned a lot. I was thinking about your question and although I am incredibly interested in Sake I would not quite call it a beverage epiphany. The only thing I can think of that I have really enveloped myself in would be Cannoli. I have never had such an experience with a beverage yet. Who knows maybe Sake will be my first! Thanks!

Wow Beau is kindof the man. You guys need to do a Sake show together about once a month or so.

QOTD: I’ve had a ton of awesome, “poetry in a glass” wines in my life…if I sit and think real hard I could probably remember a few of them. But the instance that sticks out in my mind was playing horseshoes at a buddies farm about twelve years ago or so, I’m just recently 21 and a corona/coors light drinker…but my buddy who is a New Mexico wine maker is there with a few bottles of Cabernet…I had tasted red wine before, but that was the first time I tasted a wine, that didn’t just taste like booze and grape juice…I mean the first time I said “Holy BALLS! This tastes like Strawberries and vanilla and pepper!” and being just flabbergasted that it didn’t have any of those things added to it. That moment forth, I started to become a wine nerd.

What a GREAT episode!! Beau was awesome & I really learned a TON about sake. I am in San Fran at the moment and I must go see this man!! Thanks again for a very cool show.

Finally made me come to the web site and comment Gary (watch the show in iTunes usually). The Sake show was one of the best I have ever seen.

Please mute the iMac, kept thinking I was getting an email.

QOTD: Eye opening alcohol moment, first time I drank Bourbon I was hooked. But the thing that inspired passion was the “Devil’s Lettuce”.

Great episode! Tuesdays episode got me so excited that I had to have some sake that same night! (Shirakabe Gura Tokubetsu Junmai)… just couldn’t wait to see the tastings today. I’m totally in the “I’ve had hot sake a million times and cold sake 2 or 3 times” club. I’m much more excited by the premium cold sake compared to the hot that I’ve had in the past.

The bottle last night didn’t say that it was a ginj?, but the menu did say that it was “polished to 60%”… Will they always say ginj? if they are one, or is the polish not the only distinction? Or, did they maybe just make that up on the menu?!

Best. Show. Ever.

Long time watcher, first time commenter…

QotD = Epiphany beverage – Yorkshire bitter.

Other comments: I’d love to see a WLTV episode about tea. As an Englishman I’ve grown up drinking tea, and can appreciate the different flavours from South African Rooibos (redbush), through Earl Grey to Chinese green tea. Hell, you could even try some cooking PG Tips.

Milk, no sugar.

Big show, glad to start a better sake knowledge, although it would have been nice if Beau could have completed a few more thoughts…
I remember Richard Betts pouring me a 1er Cru Chablis and completely rocking my conception f what wine could be. I was a red wine fan before I realized the depth and nuance possible when you listen carefully.
I had a similar experience at Sushi Zen a couple years ago with sake. I’d only enjoyed a couple sakes before then, and am not a big fan in general, but they had a special brew that reminded me of delicate delicious melon, and brought the incredible meal to a new level.

QOTD – Epiphany Beverage first time I tasted a double IPA that tasted like Grapefruit Juice (I think it was Stone’s Ruination.) It turned me into a hophead and I wanted to learn everything about beer and now brew my own!

Very cool episode – you guys made a great team. It was hilarious. QOTD: Astronomy – when I first started walking at night and learned the sky I wanted to know everything there was to know.

Awesome episode.

QOTD: Black Tea, Guava, and fruity pebbles.

very excellent episode, Gary. Do more with this guy! I would also love to see you going around to wineries, sake breweries, etc. I’m surprised travel channel/food network hasnt asked you to do a travel show with them already (maybe they have.) Seconds on the tea episode. get some guy from Rishi-tea.com maybe. I drink their stuff and it’s REDONK. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! U R CRUSHIN IT.

Great episode.

QOTD: I think when I was drinking an Early Gray tea and I realized that there was Bergamot in Fruity Pebbles.

Tremendous learning experience on this one. I’m the same as Gary, I love drinking sake and don’t know nearly as much as I wish I did. Thanks so much.

QOTD: I’ve had a few of those. The first time I ate dinner at a real serious restaurant in NYC would be when I realized I just loved food so so much. That would be circa 1991. I am a huge tea drinker, maybe more than Gary, first loose leaf brew kicked that in for me. As for liquor it may have been a wonderful bottle of port I bought in Vegas on Fox’s dime when I worked for them in 1998. Thanks, Uncle Rupert!

Tremendous learning experience on this one. I’m the same as Gary, I love drinking sake and don’t know nearly as much as I wish I did. Thanks so much.

QOTD: I’ve had a few of those. The first time I ate dinner at a real serious restaurant in NYC would be when I realized I just loved food so so much. That would be circa 1991. I am a huge tea drinker, maybe more than Gary, first loose leaf brew kicked that in for me. As for liquor it may have been a wonderful bottle of port I bought in Vegas on Fox’s dime when I worked for them in 1998. Thanks, Uncle Rupert!

Facinating education, I’ve had limited exposure to sake before and now I feel like I understand it soooooo much better. Thanks again.

QOTD: Food related it would probably be cooking and many years ago when I had the most amazing steak that I’ve ever had with Detroit “Zip-sauce”; and some amazing seafood dishes and soups as well.

Non-food it would be motorsports of all kinds and also when I started flying planes. For me, there’s nothing like the rush of man and machine as one.

Much better, Beau is a great communicator and ambassador for Sake. ROFL at the background announcements (you guys clean out the ‘fridge every day?).

I think you’re onto something with Orc ageing, it could open up a whole new market….. good for your ‘elf!

Did you really say Notre Damus?

QOTD – Epiphany moment was 3 years ago at my first wine tasting and realising that wines from similar areas and vintages didn’t taste the same, I had to know more…now see where that’s got me!

PS. I’m banned from drinking Sake at home, Sarah believes it turns me evil (long story).

PPS. Kell Brigan, nice rant, completely out of proportion and place. Grow up.

Great episode!

great show loved it will try some this weekend

Good show overall. Interesting that you have on someone who is basically a competitor at least in his own niche. WL does not carry that much Sake. Not sure what Sake has to do with a healthier lifestyle as it is an alcoholic beverage that I have seen may day workers completely blitzed on. I like Sake and continue to drink it and buy it but am not fooling myself that it is any healthier than anything else. As to epiphanies and beverages. The first time I had a well age Haut Brion, that was an epiphany for my wine drinking.

Awesome last two episodes, it’s just that much better when the guest is honestly passionate about the beverages in question.

QOTD: About a year ago when I started working for a liquor store, first a german weissbier during a warm summer day and a little later a Zenato Ripassa with beef tenderloin. Yeah I’m new to the whole thing, but a fast learner.