Sake Companion

Rating:
Summary: A nice (but short) intro to the world of saké
Review: This compact, concise book is a nice starting point if you're interested in delving into the multifaceted, complex world of saké. The author makes clear the many classifications and styles that this ancient Japanese beverage can have, in a way that's (hopefully) not too confusing to the novice. The directory of Japanese and American sakés he includes later in the book (listed by brewery, and including bottle label pictures) gives enough info to make a informed decision on which saké(s) you should try to find, depending on your preferences. He also provides the reader with plenty of references in the way of saké organization addresses and websites, etc. However, my biggest gripe with this slim volume is the lack of explanation of any of the Kanji (Japanese symbolic characters) which correspond to the classifications he describes earlier in the book. On a saké bottle label, not only are the brewery and saké names written in Kanji and Hiragana (a simpler Japanese alphabet), but the classification and style often are as well. Thus, knowledge of what the Kanji for "junmai" is, for example, is essential in many cases, and should've been included in this book.

Rating:
Summary: A nice (but short) intro to the world of saké
Review: This compact, concise book is a nice starting point if you're interested in delving into the multifaceted, complex world of saké. The author makes clear the many classifications and styles that this ancient Japanese beverage can have, in a way that's (hopefully) not too confusing to the novice. The directory of Japanese and American sakés he includes later in the book (listed by brewery, and including bottle label pictures) gives enough info to make a informed decision on which saké(s) you should try to find, depending on your preferences. He also provides the reader with plenty of references in the way of saké organization addresses and websites, etc. However, my biggest gripe with this slim volume is the lack of explanation of any of the Kanji (Japanese symbolic characters) which correspond to the classifications he describes earlier in the book. On a saké bottle label, not only are the brewery and saké names written in Kanji and Hiragana (a simpler Japanese alphabet), but the classification and style often are as well. Thus, knowledge of what the Kanji for "junmai" is, for example, is essential in many cases, and should've been included in this book.