When you think of Chef Morimoto you probably think of Japanese cuisine. You may even think of Iron Chef or Iron Chef America. You might even go so far as to think about art, he's an artist after all. What you probably don't think about is whiskey or beer or sake but you should. You see, he is a man of many talents and those talents went on display recently in Miami.
In December he opened a restaurant in the Wynwood district of Miami (if you read my blog then you know Wynwood). It is a space in a state of flux and one of the hippest places to be. There is street art everywhere that is constantly changing, live music blaring out of almost every venue, the smells make you think you are in some faraway place amongst street vendors, and yet; on one of the way back streets beyond a large parking garage is a nondescript building that opens fully to the street. What is within is fluidity, vibrancy, and a flurry of activity. It is quintessentially Morimoto. His art is on the wall, his cuisine is being served and so are beers, sake, and whiskey all crafted by him.
Now let's talk about Momosan for a moment before we move on to the whiskey (because we all know that is what we are here for).. The food is as you expect and the service is more than you expect. Every table feels like they are the only ones and that you are at the home of a really, really good friend. Everyone is happy, friendly, and desperately trying to keep up with Morimoto whom they refer to as Chef. Seriously, the man is everywhere and no job is too small or beneath him. He is doing it all. I watched him cook tableside then run to get paper towels to clean up a spill, then off to get a bib for someone and put it on them. The wait staff is just trying to keep up and laughing the entire time.
But anyway, as we are heading to our table what does my little eye spy (besides the master himself)? A whiskey I have never seen before. I immediately ask about it and am presented with the bottle. I am speechless for a moment. It's a whiskey crafted by Morimoto himself. Turns out this has been a dream of his for some time. Have you ever watched the documentary, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi"? If not, you should find and watch it but, I digress.
I suspect Morimoto is the same way except he dreams of a perfect circle of pairings then brings those to life hence why he created a whiskey unlike any other.
While he noticed that other restauranteurs were making their own products for their restaurants such as tequila, vodka, and wine he wanted to go a different route. He realized that very few of his peers were venturing into whiskey. Queue Rogue Brewery whom he had already met and partnered with to produce beers for his restaurants. Below is a quote from Martin Borkan, the General Manager at Momosan Wynwood that tells this story.
"In 2000, Chef Morimoto decided to create his own beer and sought out companies to do it. He was worried that the major companies wouldn't give him creative control so he looked for a smaller company and found Rogue (which was a small family-owned brewery). Chef went to Oregon and met with the founder, Jack Joyce. He loved their brewery, the tour, the craftsmanship and really liked their product. His original idea was to create more classic style beers (lager, hefeweizen, porter). After the tastings, and based on the quality, they took his opinions into consideration for the product. They collaborated together to create the different flavors we use today."
This quote refers to not only the beers he produced through this partnership but the whiskey as well. The process is one that is a bit unusual but seeing as there are no hard and fast rules for making an American Single Malt I think it is pure perfection. They started with the same malts he uses to make his imperial pilsner. These malts are produced using grains grown in Oregon by Rogue Brewery/Spirits on their own farm (think farm to table concept). He ages the whiskey in new #3 char then after two years transfers it into used cooperage (they do not release what the second barrel is) for another year thus meeting the 2-year minimum that is typically applied to "straight whiskey" and finishes them in the Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey barrels to bring out more of the subtle notes. With this type of aging going on along the Oregon Coast and everything being produced there, it is no wonder it has such versatility!
I do confess that I have paired it with almost everything on the menu at this point. My original notes were of lemon, citrus wood, heather, the rind of a grapefruit, and ginger. This was without pairing it to any of the food. Vince came away with oil and inkiness that flowed into lavender and floral notes. He found it to be a perfect balance of sweet and dry with a hint of bitterness on the finish. What we both noticed is that when paired with different items from the menu the flavors adapted and you start to notice notes that were not there before. My favorite pairings were the conch which brought forth more of those citrus notes and the wagyu beef that brought out the heather, wet grass, and soba notes. I found it fascinating how the whiskey never clashed; it just kept evolving. This led me to ask more questions of Martin, the bartender, and even Chef himself. It seems the evolution of the whiskey was part of the intent.
Another interesting piece is the label, Morimoto designed it himself. I asked Martin about this as well.
"The Japanese symbol represents the word “dream” as it was his dream to create these different products. The smaller symbol in the bottom right corner of the bottle is his personal “Hanko” (a Japanese seal). Similar to a signature. "
And I have to say that dream sums up everything about this whiskey and our time at Momosan Wynwood. It is quite frankly, a dream come true.
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