Norman

9.0

Kaze no Mori Tsuyuhakaze 507 (風の森 露葉風 507), a seasonal sake from Yucho Shuzo in Nara Prefecture.

Key points:
• Brand / Series: Kaze no Mori (“Wind of the Forest”) is known for ultra-fresh, lightly sparkling sake bottled immediately after pressing.
• Rice: Tsuyuhakaze (露葉風) is a Nara-only heirloom sake rice.
• Polish ratio: The number 507 means a 50 % polishing ratio with yeast No. 7.
• Style: Typically Junmai Daiginjo-grade in polish, but brewed in their unpasteurized, naturally effervescent house style.
This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. — 25 days ago

Norman

9.1

Name: 風の森 WEEKS 2025 (Kaze no Mori Weeks 2025)
• Rice: Aiyama (愛山) 100%
• Polish ratio: 60%
• ABV: 14%
• Sake type: Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu (純米 無濾過無加水生酒)
• Junmai = pure rice (no added alcohol)
• Muroka = unfiltered
• Nama = unpasteurized
• Genshu = undiluted (though note: 14% ABV suggests a lower-ferment genshu or partial dilution)
• Brew year (BY): 2025BY (brewed August 2025)
• Brewery: 油長酒造株式会社 (Yucho Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
• Location: Gose City, Nara Prefecture (奈良県御所市)
Ok brought this one back from Japan so it’s fresh and a limited release as noted above. It’s got some effervescence which I’m not a huge fan of but seeing in a lot of these fresh ones from Japan. Have not sat long enough to absorb back in. If you have not used ChatGPT with sake you should. It’s really good in answering questions. So this has the typical sake flavor, an effervescence but also a weird yogurt tang which evidently is on purpose since this is unpasteurized. The carbonation kills the creaminess you associate with sour cream and yogurt. From ChatGPT - That “yogurt tang but not creamy” description is dead on for fresh Aiyama-based nama. What’s happening chemically is a short-chain lactic ester (mainly ethyl lactate) blending with residual malic acid from the yeast, plus the carbonic lift. The effervescence doesn’t just tingle — it changes how your tongue perceives acidity, pushing that faint yogurt note forward while stripping away the creaminess you’d feel in a heavier sake. So instead of the rounded nama-zake lactic feel, you get something sharper — like unsweetened kefir water or sparkling Calpis.

That’s part of what Kaze no Mori aims for with their Weeks bottlings — letting you taste the micro-volatility of live sake mid-fermentation, before pasteurization smooths it out. It’s not a flaw; it’s an intentional snapshot of the fermentation in motion.

If you swirl it gently and let it sit 10–15 minutes, you’ll notice the carbonation dissipate and that tang retreat into the background, revealing more of Aiyama’s core character — ripe pear, steamed rice sweetness, and faint white flower. But if you like that “what is that?” moment — slightly wild, slightly sparkling, tang balanced by fruit — it’s best drunk exactly as you’re having it now. Cold (right out of the fridge, say 5–8°C) locks in the CO₂ and accentuates that “live” edge — the effervescence plus that lactic-malic twang that feels more like tangy minerality than cream. At that temp, Aiyama’s natural softness is suppressed, so what comes through is this precise, slightly electric sensation — like pear skin + Greek yogurt + soda water. If you let it rise toward 12–14°C, the CO₂ eases, sweetness unfolds, and the tang will start to blur into a gentler rice-fruit tone.

Because this bottle is both muroka (unfiltered) and nama (unpasteurized), it’s carrying a small live microflora load — you’re literally tasting that tension between residual yeast enzymes and trapped gas. It’s why the first sip is so vivid and almost curious — not quite sour, not quite sweet, but alive. — 2 days ago

Norman

9.0

This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. — 25 days ago

Norman

9.3

Hakuro Shuzo (白露酒造) in Yamagata - Hakuro Suishu

• Type / Grade: Also Junmai Ginjo (純米吟醸)
• Rice & Polish: Same general Dewasansan/Yamagata spec but brewed to be lighter and more aromatic.
• Style markers: 生酒 (nama) = unpasteurized, but not labeled genshu; intended to be slightly more delicate and lower in alcohol than Ajyu.

This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. This is top quartile. I would search this out. — 25 days ago

Roberto Carli

9.4

Great body and very juicy acidity for sake. — a year ago

Jinnai

9.3

酸味とガスあり、美味しい！ — 3 years ago

Norman

9.0

Kudoki Jōzu Junmai Ginjo
• Brewer: Kamenoi Shuzō Co., Ltd. (Yamagata, Japan) This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands.Thin — 25 days ago

Norman

9.3

Hakuro Shuzo (白露酒造) in Yamagata - Hakuro Ajyu
• Type / Grade: Junmai Ginjo (純米吟醸)
• Rice & Polish: Yamagata-grown Dewasansan (出羽燦々) 100%, polished to about 55%

This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. This is top quartile. I would search this out. — 25 days ago

Mitch Kirkman

9.0

Eikun Hyorei Chozo Junmai Daigingo from Kyoto. Quite dry with some umami. Just noticed that the bottle we bought is 2 years old so likely not so fresh as should be. Note to self check labels more closely when purchasing. — a year ago

Hiroyuki Hikichi

9.5

Celebrate the new year! — 5 years ago