Norman

9.3

手取川 ひやおろし “Scarlet Mountain” (Tedorigawa Hiyaoroshi “Scarlet Mountain”)
• Rice: Yoshida’s autumn junmai (hiyaoroshi-style) release: Koji rice Yamada Nishiki and kake rice Ishikawamon.
• Polish ratio: 60% (per Yoshida’s autumn junmai seasonal spec). 
• ABV: 15%
• Sake type: Junmai Hiyaoroshi (純米 ひやおろし)
• Junmai = pure rice (no added brewer’s alcohol)
• Hiyaoroshi = an autumn release that’s been matured/rested after brewing so it drinks rounder and more umami-forward than a just-released sake (it’s a seasonal “timing/style” designation, not a single fixed recipe)
• Brewery: 吉田酒造店 (Yoshida Sake Brewery)
• Location: Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県), Japan
• Bottle size: 720ml
• Importer: World Sake Imports
• Date code: “2025.09”

How it drinks: This is the “fall food sake” lane. The core impression is rice-weight and savory smoothness, not high aromatics. You get that autumn-rested integration: less sharp edges, more umami and round mid-palate. It’s the bottle that gets better once soy, grilled notes, mushrooms, and richer fish show up.

Why it reads “autumn”: Hiyaoroshi tends to land in a sweet spot where amino acids and residual extract feel more knit together, so you perceive more umami and less angularity. It’s not necessarily sweeter, it’s just more “settled,” and your palate reads that as depth.

ChatGPT above.

Had this second and as much as the info above says it will read less angular/sharp edges it has some rough ones. Banana strongly on the nose. Reads rougher to me as it’s not silky smooth like the other bottle. The alcohol is more present and the weight on the palate isnt as easily perceived due to that. As much as I preferred the other I think this was fantastic with the warmer foods at the end of the omakase and especially when the fatty otoro came out. Was able to stand up to that wher tbe delicate prior bottle would have been lost. — 10 days ago

Monique Gillioen

9.0

€70 bij Atsu san, niet super droog — 2 years ago

Norman

9.4

Cloudy, better with the chill off, really strong flavors so not a “like-water” sake. Sweet, clean and warming — 4 years ago

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

9.3

Kikuhime B.Y. Daiginjo/ Ishikawa prefecture, Japan — 5 days ago

Norman

9.0

Lightweight on the palate, I get a quick hit of melon but then it fades to a bitter hit with some heat that sticks for a while. — 7 months ago

Joel Roskind

9.2

Csw so sweet and delicious — 2 years ago

with Susan

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

9.0

Kikuhime Yamahai Junmai unfiltered undiluted unpasteurized/ brewery: Kikuhime goushigaisha/ Ishikawa prefecture Japan — 3 years ago

Norman

9.1

Bought this a while ago although the date on it is 08/2023 and I didn’t think it was that long ago. Nose is light. Flavor slightly bitter. Color yellow which could reflect the name. Finish lasts for a while but more on the alcohol side more than anything else. — 3 months ago

Norman

9.1

Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute Premium Ouveau Honjozo. This has a lot of punch to it - little bit in the bitter side if taken by itself. Better with food and had with butterfish and sea perch sushi. Went very well with that after the differential with the prior sake was past. — 2 years ago

Vinny Brooklyn

9.3

New Year’s Day 2024. Wonderful although weird popping this open as news blares strong quakes in Ishikawa. — 2 years ago