Neil Valenzuela

9.1

Cold, filtered sake. Polished Yamada Nishiki rice, slightly sweet flavor even with 15% ABV. Floral flavors with cucumber, melon and honeydew. — 19 days ago

with Chad

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. — 5 months ago

Jeff Ball

9.5

This sake was amazing! Mint and herbs on the nose. Pleasant, dry, effervescent, wheat on the palette, concludes with a smooth, earthy finish. — 3 years ago

Norman

9.0

This is just ok. I’m not rating it anywhere near where others have. Aromatics are light. Light on sweetness and also power. It fades fast and the weight on the power is light too. Daishichi “Minowamon” (大七 箕輪門)


Sake type: Junmai Daiginjo (純米大吟醸 = no added distilled alcohol, daiginjo-grade polish)
Starter method: Kimoto (生酛 = traditional, naturally built lactic acidity; tends to add depth and structure) 
Rice: Yamada Nishiki (the gold seal indicates, and it’s the standard spec for Minowamon) 
Polish ratio: 50% using Daishichi’s “super-flat” polishing
ABV: 15% (back label) 
Brewery / Place: Daishichi Sake Brewery, Fukushima (Nihonmatsu) — 4 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Elegant t yellow flowers.

Palate: hint of spritz. Elegant fruit.

Long — 2 years ago

Norman

9.1

Yamada rice so typical flavor. Clear, clean, SMV matches what I would expect. Slightly sweet with a little bit of an edge given the alcohol at 16%. Brewed by : Nagai Sake Inc. Gunma, Japan
Rice :
Yamada Nishiki
Polishing Rate: 50%
SMV :
+3
Acidity :
1.3 — 2 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

Okunomatsu kura was founded in Fukushima in 1716 and is now led by its 19th president Joji Yusa. This sake won the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Gold medal award in 2018 beating out 1,639 other sake labels.
Lychee, orange blossom and white flowers on the nose.
Bright, silky and a bit viscous with honey dew melon, white chocolate and minerality.
Ya ya karakuchi describes a sake as a nice balance between acidity and sweetness. We had soba with duck, shiitake mushrooms and grilled leeks. — 3 years ago

Norman

9.8

Name: 鍋島 大吟醸（Nabeshima Daiginjo） 
• Sake type: Daiginjo（大吟醸, highly polished; typically includes a small addition of distilled alcohol
• Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo, Grade A / specially designated) 
• Polish ratio: 35% 
• ABV: 17% 
• SMV: +5 (dry-leaning) 
• Acidity: 1.7 
• Brewery: 富久千代酒造 (Fukuchiyo Shuzo)
• Prefecture: Saga 
• Award note: cited as IWC Trophy Champion / flagship in at least one detailed retailer profile 
• Bottling date + lot: 2025.10, LOT 5732

This is built like a flagship Daiginjo: precision polish (35%), dry-leaning structure (SMV +5), and higher ABV that gives it torque and length rather than airy fade. The common lane is melon and tropical fruit on the nose, then a palate that feels tight, glossy, and more structured than most fruity Daiginjo, finishing clean but not thin.
Had this one again. Pricing was very fair compared to retail. This was my favorite of the two - it is silky smooth with a bit of weight on the palate. Aromatics are there and it doesn’t read sweet on the nose or flavor. Little bit of melon and super balanced. This is a great bottle and its freshness shines though it. Really like. — 5 months ago

Norman

9.0

Sake World 2024 Had to judge given it’s the same glass throughout the tasting but these were nice. Actually had the 35 which was fun to try. I would probably lean towards the Japan based ones unless this is substantially cheaper and I could try head to head. Blue is made in NYC. — 2 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.5

Tasted at Taiheizan kura in Akita, Tohoku, Japan with owners Shin and Eiko Kodama.
Incredibly perfumed with white flowers.
Yellow plums, ginger, apricot ripe pear with rich white stone peach.
Minerality, crisp, luscious and mouth feel for days.

— 2 years ago