Facing alcohol - a 20-year journey and the memory of a sleeping time

It has been twenty years since I first encountered sake.
Since opening that door at the age of 20, he has toured the country's best sake.
The trip was more than just the act of drinking sake; it was a time to experience the culture, to be amazed by the techniques, and to confirm one's own sensibilities.

The sake that has been laid down is laid down some more.
Some of the bottles now lying quietly in their own refrigerators are not mere luxury items.
It is a specimen that contains time and a mirror that reflects the souls of the master brewers.

What triggered this leap forward was an encounter with the four "Four Heavenly Kings of Noto" toji.
Naohiko Noguchi, Shokichi Hase, Koichi Sanpai, and Saburo Naka.
Among them, "Hase Masayoshi," the last brewed by Toji Hase, left an unforgettable aftertaste.
But it was Toji Noriguchi's "Mashirao Yamahai Ginjo" that moved me the most.
Two bottles of this are currently being laid down, but I am not ready to break the seal just yet.
The first bottle of "Norikuchi," which was released to the public after the brewery moved to a new location, I am secretly thinking about the time when I would like to open it.
Then there is the last bottle of "Kuroryu Harekuchi".
This bottle has been sitting for nearly 20 years. The day when it will be opened is still far away.

I don't put a lot of emphasis on cooking.
I can drink sake with just a pinch of salt.
Rather, I feel that if food intervenes, the sake's worldview is lost.
Therefore, I want to face the sake itself in a straightforward manner.
The dishes are merely "tools" for that purpose.
Old karatsu, old Bizen, old tsuke - my quest extends to the vessels themselves.
In particular, the incredibly thin and delicately crafted mouth rims of kozome-suke (old blue slip) dishes sharply accentuate the taste of sake.
But it is the ko-karatsu that I usually hold in my hand. It has a softness to it that I never get tired of.

Now he uses Kikuhime's "Yamahai Junmai" as his daily sake.
It is not flashy, but the more you drink, the more comfortable it becomes with your body, a truly reliable bottle.
The sake of the masters is no longer available.
That is why the remaining bottles are "time itself" for me.

Sake is not just sake.
It is an art, a culture, and a memory of time woven by rice, water, yeast, and brewers.
Every time I drink, I discover something new.
One door opens, then another, inviting you into the depths.

I am sure I will continue this quiet journey.
Just with alcohol.
Not talking, not rushing, facing each other.