Do you know there is a Taiwanese guy brewing sake in Japan? He is the only Taiwanese brewing sake. His name is 陳韋仁. He has worked in several breweries, Dassai, Rihaku and so forth, and learned the Sake brewing for six years in total.
In 2018, he finally made his dream happen. It is to brew Sake with using the rice called 台中六十五號 which has the roots in Taiwan.
台中六十五號 is the rice like the bridge of friendship between Japan and Taiwan. In 1936, Taiwan imported two brewer’s rice, Kameji 亀治 and Shinriki 神力. By hybridizing two kinds of rice, 台中六十五號 was created.
When 陳韋仁 got to know the existence of this rice, he started to have a strong will as a Taiwanese to produce Japanese Sake using the rice which has the roots in both Taiwan and Japan.
The most challenging part is no one had produced Sake with this rice. Not only drinkers but also brewers can’t have a clear picture against the result.
So, I’m excited and scared to open the bottle at the same time.
When it’s chilled, the taste is like a juicy Japanese pear and has a slightly fruity aroma like bananas. It’s probably the influence of the yeast No.9. The body is medium and a little dry, the strong sourness comes in the end and refreshes the mouth.
Right after drinking chilled, my friends and I all figured out it could be served as hot Sake. The sweetness gets milder and becomes like a rice cake. The fruitiness fades, and umami and dryness get sharper. The balance of taste is better than chilled.
陳韋仁 told me that he would challenge the Kimoto method with the same 台中六十五號 next year. There is still more space to improve, but this passionate guy definitely has the potential. I’d love to back up his challenges.