The “Beau-Zone” Layer – Narutotai... The Black Snapper!
From Tokushima Prefecture.
Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu
SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.7
Is there a cooler can of sake than the Red Snapper? Ummmmm I don’t think so! But wait, maybe there is – in the form of the Black Snapper! Yes, it’s Spring again, so it’s time for the return of the schooling Black Snappers! Last year, it sold out in about three weeks. This year, it sold out in a week. But wait, again! We set more fish nets and caught two more cases of this brew that is a fan-favorite and is the sibling can of our very own Red Snapper that is also a fan-favorite. What’s the difference other than the seasonality? Not much production wise, but the flavor and impact is different for sure. Basically Black Snapper is a “Muroka” or non-charcoal filtered version of the Red Snapper, and in the tank for another day or two longer. That’s it! But, holy moly it tastes like a fish of a different color (*no, it doesn’t taste like fish).
As we all know, a million years ago I was at their brewery in Tokushima and I was tasting their line-up and enjoying life. Then out of the side of my eye on a table standing alone I saw a can, a beautiful can that was the Red Snapper. My jaw dropped and I said, “What is that?” At first, Shacho was embarrassed as it was a Ginjo, but I said that doesn’t bother me in the least. I tasted it and then learned the lesson about the can. He used the can because it’s was lined and doesn't allow the sake to touch the aluminum. Cool! Secondly, since it’s Nama he wanted a stumpier can rather than a bottle with a long neck because it keeps the fluid colder in a more compact metal format. Genius. But, if it didn’t taste good I didn't care about the packaging. And of course it was GLORIOUS, and the legend of “Beau-Shu” came to being. We called it that for the first few years of export as we had exclusive rights to the product. After a while I said, “You should sell this everywhere!” We didn’t have the competition back then like we do now. Nevertheless, they did sell to everybody and it's one of the most internationally recognized sakes in the world.
And then the Black fish came. We love it, and would love to sell it year around, but it’s important to be a Spring release brew! Why? First, when it’s Muroka it’s a little less stable, and must be consumed faster. And secondly, it’s good for the demand side of the equation! It’s sort of a yearly reward for the Red Snapper contingency, and more importantly to us, it’s a great teaching tool that tastes great. You can literally get each can and try side-by-side to see how much of a difference charcoal filtering and an extra day or so in the tank really makes. The answer: A lot! And actually thirdly, for those who really don’t do the Red Snapper because it might not be dry enough, the Black Snapper is dry with a capital "D".
You don’t need a fishing pole, but you don’t have much time!
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