Sake is a traditional alcoholic beverage in Japan made through a process of double fermenting rice. It is brewed using parallel multi-stage fermentation, which is unique yet retaining the industry’s core value of conserving the Japanese tradition at the same time. With a rich history of hundreds of years in the making, sake is one of the most unique and versatile alcoholic beverages in the world. It is slowly winning over drinkers around Malaysia as more people come to appreciate the subtle flavours and aromas of the rice-based brew.
Being a Japanese alcohol importer and distributor, K2 Marketing noted the opportunity to bring sake past drinking games and sushi restaurants and to integrate it into the culinary and gastronomy experience. This was why they brought IWA 5 Assemblage 2 and Tanaka 1789 x Chartier Blend 001 into Malaysia.
Kathryn Leong, Business Manager of K2 Marketing Sdn Bhd, said that many often perceive that sake goes with Japanese food or cuisine and that is not true.
“Sake’s versatility is one of its most overlooked qualities. It is the perfect drink on its own or as an aperitif to bring out the full flavour of any dish. Both IWA 5 Assemblage 2 and Tanaka 1789 x Chartier Blend 001 are premium Japanese sakes with a French influence, and we believe that they will discern sake drinkers’ taste buds with its respective, unique taste notes,” explained Kathryn.
IWA 5 Assemblage 2: Precise, Exquisite, Premium
Brewed in Toyama Prefecture
IWA is the creation of its Founder-Maker Richard Geoffroy, who charted a course for the legendary Dom Pérignon Champagne for 28 years as the fifth Cave de Cellar (wine maker).
Taking influence from Champagne, Richard Geoffroy created IWA 5 by blending, rather than using a single brew, adding a new paradigm to the long-established process of rice polishing and sake making. The entire crafting process is known as Assemblage, which is the signature of IWA.
The orchestration of IWA’s blending involves five components which are: the varieties of rice used and its origin, the five different yeast strains employed to provide different aromas and mouth feels for the sake, the fermentation starter (or known as ‘moto’), and reserve sake.
IWA 5 Assemblage 2’s taste notes have an intriguing ability to embrace diverse cultures and cuisines. With every sip of IWA 5 Assemblage 2, your taste buds will be treated to notes of plum, almond, butter, and orange. It can be served in a variety of glassware at varying temperatures, as low as 1° and as high as 55°. With its inherent versatility to ingeniously adjust itself sensibly to one’s palate, it may be paired with a range of foods, no matter how delicate or robust their flavours may be.
TANAKA 1789 X CHARTIER BLEND 001: Aromatic, Flavourful, Harmonic
Brewed in Miyagi Prefecture
Tanaka 1789 X Chartier is the fruit of a collaboration between Tanaka Sake Brewery and François Chartier, a master sommelier known for his unique take on innovation. François Chartier’s research on aromatic science and gastronomic harmonies has revolutionised what we know and can achieve with Japanese sake today.
François Chartier and toji (master brewer) Morikawa from Tanaka Sake Brewery are the masterminds behind the signature ten transformational steps in sake making. Tanaka 1789 X Chartier Blend 001 is crafted from two rice varieties: the noble Miyama Nishiki rice, and Kuro no Hana rice that enhance the sake’s acidity and fragrance. Another focus is on the sake’s flavours and aromas, which are provided by the yeast types – Classic #7, #6, and Miyagi B3.
Tanaka 1789 X Chartier Blend 001 awakens the taste buds with a unique and naturally fresh acidity reminiscent of the elegance and verticality of the best white wines of the world. Every sip promises a symphony of flavours as the aromas of aniseed and fresh basil enchant your senses, followed by lingering notes of peach and pineapple, coconut, and almond milk.
Exclusively Available for Purchase Online at Sakekami Website
Both IWA 5 Assemblage 2 and Tanaka 1789 x Chartier Blend 001 are now exclusively available for purchase online in Malaysia at SAKEKAMI at https://sakekami.com/. SAKEKAMI is an online shopping service operated by K2 Marketing and offers a variety of genuine, imported sake including nihonshu, shochu, umeshu and other Japanese wines and spirits.
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