Brian Ager

9.0

A thoroughly enjoyable creamy & robust sake. This particular saké is not diluted after brewing which adds to its intensity. — 2 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Umami and rich. Not exactly my kind of saké. Could use with a little more fruit and acidity. Smells like sesame oil, musk melon, and had a sort of rich earthiness (not mushrooms though). Palate sits heavy on the tongue. Mellow and smooth. Umami, spicy, bitter grapefruit-driven finish. The alcohol does give it quite a bit of warmth. Undeniably long. Solid, but as mentioned, not to my taste. — 3 years ago

Kendall Johnson

9.0

Delightfully crisp and balanced with fruit hints and that classic rice flavor underlying it all — 3 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.0

95% Chenin 5% Viognier. Smooth, soft, round. Melon rind. Reminiscent of Junmai Saké. Dwyane Wade’s winery. Jason Pahlmeyer winemaker. For pork loin w/ chutney. — 2 years ago

Kyle Lockhart

8.9

I really liked this sake and feel like people are giving it crap reviews because its Gekkeikan. A lot of pear and apple flavors, crisp and clean. — 3 years ago

Andy Tam

9.1

So erotique. Rich and came in a wine bottle namasake. Paired with Aussie lobster sashimi — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.5

Aramasa again! This time from their "experimental" range - Private Lab series. V17. Junmai with 60% polishing ratio. Made with both saké and shochu koji. A little bit of funk factor here. Nose was really estery and ricey (if that even makes sense). Consistent with other tasting notes, palate was citrus first, melon second. Juicy sweetness and crunchy acidity makes for a very glou glou saké. Another mind-boggling bottle from possibly my favourite brewery. The usual elegance, with weight aplenty! — 3 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

8.9

Better on day 2. Fresh, luscious, slightly off-dry, mineral finish. Lovely mouthfeel. Need to drink more saké. 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵 — 2 years ago

with Alsu

Aaron Tan

9.5

It's times like this when Aramasa makes me think of Keller. Notwithstanding that they both make completely different beverages, it is their ability to bring an incredible drinkability to their otherwise Herculean creations that evokes the comparability. In other words, power without weight. And, of course, I love both producers!

The Aramasa's Ecru is exceptionally pure, in the same light that KP's kabi's are. As Aramasa aptly describes it (and Google not-so-aptly translated it), "reminiscent of thawed water from some cold regions". I like to think that they're referring to pure glacial meltwater, but you get the gist. Even Aramasa's name for this cuvee is perfect - 'unbleached' purity.

Smells like pear, melon, flowers, light cream, and river stones. The palate has a light bittersweet character, which is so alike some mineral water. Trademark citrus acidity and phenolic grip. Finishes juicy, clean, and long. Mind-boggling lightness to what would otherwise be akin to engine oil in weight. In one phrase, a hyper elegant saké.

And oh, this is Aramasa's entry level cuvee too 🤯 — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.7

French Manobi rice, grown in Carmague, brewed in Japan - part of the Kuheiji's projects in France (the other being a winery in Morey-Saint-Denis). Weighty, but mind-blowingly elegant. Floral, herbaceous, with an exotic fruit profile, and a mineral finish. So good, impossible not to empty.

NB: Taking this notes straight from my IG. After the Aramasa Cosmos, I would have never thought I'd drink another saké that could trump it within the span of a week. To be frank, I've got mixed feelings about Kuheiji - sometimes their saké's are too rich for me, but at times they are truly out of this world, like the one right here. Ranks among the best saké's I've tasted. Thanks to JS for bringing this rare bird back from Japan. — 3 years ago