Sakqueso X vol.2 (November 2025)

This month’s Sakqueso sakes and cheeses

Welcome to the second and final month of Sakqueso X! Please refer to my more embellished notes from October to review the theme.

Last month, we had our biggest Sakqueso event yet, celebrating 10 years of sake and cheese. With over 60 attendees, we tasted through 10 sakes and cheeses. Our special guest and cheese expert Kevin Corcoran made sure all the cheese was cut to precision, and was available to answer all of your burning cheese-related queries. If you missed it this year, mark your calendars for next year, when we will run the theme again in October. Please make sure to read my sake and cheese pairing notes on the reverse side to continue the Sakqueso journey.

Kayoko and I don’t miss a beat here at Umami Mart and we are gearing up for the next big event for our dear Gumi members. We are announcing our second annual Gumi Appreciation Night! This is a party to thank our members for showing their love and support through thick and thin. Our loyal members have kept our small business inspired and community thriving. 

Members will join us this year as we close the store to the public from 5-7pm for a super special members-only event on Saturday, December 6. Members will have a chance to get their shopping done early with 20% off the entire store during this time! Members will enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks, and tunes, all while having access to  everything in our shop at a discount! If you aren't a member, sign up now to get on the list for this special event.

And keep your eyes peeled for some very special bottles coming in that we ordered exclusively for the holidays. These are seasonal, limited, and luxe bottles that are dressed up and ready to go for gifting, celebrating, and merry-drinking. Highlights include the Midorikawa Cask Collection sake aged in whisky casks, Gozenshu Kijoshu made with bodaimoto sake, Shirataki Brewery’s Seven, and a find we got tipped off on by a member at Sake Day the Banshu Ikkon Yamada Nishiki Junmai Daiginjo!

Kanpai,

Yoko (Co-Founder + Sake Director, Umami Mart)

SILVER + GOLD

Kuroobi Dodo Yamahai Junmai
Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery (Ishikawa, Japan)
Seimaibuai: 65% Yamada Nishiki + Kinmon Nishiki, SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.9

We visited Fukumitsuya Brewery in September and tasted the mineral-rich well-water with which this sake is made. This water is referred to as “100 Year Water” because it is water that fell a century ago upon Mt. Haku. The mountain’s soil contains seashell deposits which impart minerals to the water.

Enjoy the umami and acidity thanks to the yamahai method. Aged for one year, this sake has just the right amount of silkiness. Enjoy at room temperature or warm.

While many cheeses seemed to work with this sake, Gourimo Gruyere “Surchoix” was the most interesting, making this earthy sake taste smoky and tea leaf like. Its amber hue, aroma of dried fig and honey, was a great match to cheese.

L-R: Kayoko, Ayako-san of Fukumitsuya and Yoko in front of the brewery's well in September.

Sharaku Junmai Ginjo 
Miyaizumi Meijo (Fukushima, Japan)
Seimaibuai: 50% Gohyaku Mangoku, SMV: +1, Acidity: 1.4

Sharaku gained nationwide acclaim in 2013 when Dancyu magazine (a great source for sake and shochu news and features in Japan) identified Sharaku as a sake brand to watch. Since then, demand for Sharaku sakes have sky-rocketed and bottles are often hard to come by. Part of the appeal of Sharaku sakes is that they are fruit-forward but refreshing.

We settled on this Sharaku Junmai Ginjo because it encapsulates the signature Sharaku profile. We get aromas of red apple and banana. Enjoy flavors of peach, juicy mango, with a refreshing tail of lime rinds and a hint of acidity.

And the cheese winner is: Tallegio! This semi-soft, washed-rind cheese with a golden-orange exterior is a mild, buttery, cheese from Italy. The mild flavor profile with a hint of fruity aroma echoes some of the characteristics of the sake. The buttery, mellow flavors of the cheese highlight the mineral flavors in the sake, making the sake drink even more crisp and clean. This is a sake and cheese pairing that would be ideal to have out on the table as soon as guests arrive - fresh yet flavorful and won’t obliterate the palate. Enjoy chilled.