Sake

Winemaker Description

Herbaceous with hints of grapefruit and a light earthiness. Good acidity, mineral driven, well-balanced with a clean, medium finish. Delicious with tempura, full flavored fish and shellfish, fresh green vegetable dishes, and coconut-based Asian dishes. A flavorful base for stocks and marinades. This versatile sake can be served warmed, room temperature or chilled. It is aged for approximately 6 months to achieve its mellow flavor. 

Simple with aromas of rice and melon.  Serve chilled.

Winemaker Description

Dassai "23" is the sake that defines Dassai. It is made with rice that has been milled so that only 23% of the original size of the grains remains, this is the highest degree of milling of any sake in the world. Going to this extreme allows us to create a sake like no other, a sake that is the pinnacle of refined elegance, subtlety, and delicate flavors and aromas.

To craft the ultimate Junmai-Daiginjo sake, we polished down Yamada-Nishiki rice to 23%. Delivering delicate floral aromas with a palate reminiscent of honey and an elegant lasting finish. We will be donating a portion of the sales of the Dassai Beyond and Dassai 23 series to medical professionals. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description

The most traditional style sake. Perfect pair with Mildly seasoned dishes. Character: Smooth, well balanced and full body. Dry/Sweet: +3 (medium dry) Texture: hard, crisp Aroma: mild, complex Suggestions: Serving: room temper to warm Pairing food: mildly seasoned Alcohol: 16%

Winemaker Description 

The rice used in Dassai 45 sake is milled down to 45% of its original size. Dassai 45 is elegant and fresh. Dassai 45 shows a slight sweetness with very floral aromas. The palate is medium bodied with perfect balance of nuttiness and candy with a hint of honeydew.

Winemaker Description 

Clear, day-bright nectar with aromas of strawberry, pineapple, and a whisper of anise. Full-bodied, balanced, and fruity with a hint of honey. A silky, luscious texture and a long finish. 

Producer Description 

Chiyonosono's Sacred Power was crafted with Kyushu Shinriki rice (their own house-cultivated variety) and Kumamoto yeast. The Seimaibuai value is 55%, meaning 45% of the grain was polished away. 

This is a rich, mellow, full-flavored sake with aromas of hay, lemongrass and tropical fruits. On the silky palate, those fruits couple with accents of saline and savory umami flavors, finishing with uplifting brightness and acidity. Enjoy with selections from the raw bar, sushi and sautéed greens and veggies.

Producer Description 

This is a light and comfortably dry premium Sake with the aroma of fresh cantaloupe and banana followed by medium body bringing refreshing Mandarin orange like overtones.

With just the right amount of body and a comfortable dryness it enhances any dish you eat. This is a great white wine alternative that is perfect for Sake lovers and beginners alike. 

Winemaker Description

Enjoy the flowery and expertly-balanced Dassai 39 Junmai Daiginjo's pleasant and addictive notes of ripe pineapples, mangoes, apples and pears.

Winemaker Description 

Silky smooth and smartly chic in a chic frosted glass bottle, Kinushiro is a Junmai grade nigori sake with a clean and refreshing aftertaste and a full but elegant character. 

Before bottling, this sake is stored in casks made from high-quality Japanese cedar. The result is a sake with a crisp, dry flavor and the pleasant hint of Japanese cedar.

Winemaker Description 

Rich and delectable, an unpasteurized version of their classic Junmaishu.
Pairs well with heavier and richer dishes, especially meats and sauces. 

Winemaker Description 

Made with yeast extracted from the Sanuki olive native to the region, this hyperlocal sake showcases the best of Kagawa in a one-of-a-kind bottling.

Juicy notes of musk melon, white flowers and green pear with hints of starfruit, grass and salinity.

Try with salad with carrot ginger dressing, coconut crab curry or spring pea & mint gazpacho. 

Our Professional Review

A unique expression of sake made with olive yeast.  Beautiful white fruits and floral notes backed by lovely herbal and savory notes.

Winemaker Description 

Miho-san revived Hattanso rice, an extinct heirloom breed from the Akitsu region in Hiroshima, by devoting over 10 years of her life to learning how to grow it and brew with it. One of the few female brewery owners and "Toji" (brewmaster), Miho Imada mills the rice for this sake less than most Junmais because she believes it results in the best expression of rice flavor, balance, and complexity.

An amazing oyster pairing, as Hiroshima has more oyster beds than anywhere else in Japan and influences the sake. Also try it with red curry and ginger steamed clams. 

Our Professional Review

Earthy, bold and zesty with accents of lemon and apricot.

Producer Description 

The brand was named Toyo Bijin, or “Asian Beauty,” by Sumikawa Brewing Company’s founder in honor of his late wife.

This particular brew gives an aroma red apple that fades to an almost nutmeg spice. It is a very dry sake, said to be “strong enough to kill a devil.” Be prepared for this but also enjoy its decent umami retained from the Yamadanishiki rice used in its brewing. 

Producer Description 

This savory sake is inspired by local legends of Niigata's annual fox-bride festival. Local lore tells of mysterious lights that appeared on nearby Mt. Kirin in the distant past, which are claimed to be the lanterns carried in the fox-bride procession. With a 50% polishing rate, this sake could technically qualify as a Junmai Daiginjo, but the savory notes and food pairing versatility identify more with the style expected from Junmai 

Intense aromas of grilled nuts, pistachio, and a hint of white chocolate. Ripe honeydew notes finish crisp with a hint of lingering sweetness.

One of the best meat pairings in the portfolio. Try with duck, fig-stuffed pork loin, or black cod with miso glaze.

Producer Description 

Smooth and earthy, notes of toasted brown rice. Excellent with a range of food from sushi to yakitori and gyoza

Gohyaku Mangoku and Koshi Ibuki rice milled to 58%. Serve chilled or warmed
This is a true gutsy Niigata style sake, smooth and earthy, with notes of toasty brown rice. When chilled it makes a great companion for a sushi platter or gyoza dumplings, but when gently warmed it blossoms into the perfect accompaniment for yakitori, grilled salmon or roasted yellowtail.

A blend of local rice varietals Gohyaku Mangoku and Koshi Ibuki both milled down to 58% then treated with the S-3 yeast to produce a mildly fragrant and clean sake with light earthy qualities. 

Producer Description 

Winemaker Description 

All Uka sake uses Koda Farms® Heirloom Organic Kokuho Rose® KR55 rice and the soft water from Mount Adatara. Furthermore, Uka “Dry” uses Fukushima’s first prefectural yeast, Utsukushima Yume Yeast, known to produce sake with less acidity, and aromas of banana and melon. The interplay of fruity on the nose and dry on the palate is achieved by careful handling and skillful expertise. 

Winemaker Description 

This gentle Yuzushu from Kochi Prefecture offers a splendid nose of lemon peel, honey, fresh lemonade, elderflower, and sugar aromas, capturing an elegant and refined essence.

Producer Description 

Like other sake in the Hakurakusei line, this sake is brewed to be supremely food friendly. With an aroma that whispers of banana and a zippy, citrus-like acidity, this junmai ginjo can bolster savory cuisine or walk hand-in-hand with sweeter foods such as Japanese “nimono” dishes.

 It’s produced using a little known rice variety, Miyagi prefecture’s Kura no Hana sake rice, that’s been milled to 55%. Serve chilled.

Named “Occidental” which means “of the West,” this sake definitely holds true to its name. The folks at Brooklyn Kura have created this truly unique American craft sake by utilizing dry hops, which gives this drink its pale pink hue. The bouquet is emboldened with a yeasty, IPA-like hint that boosts the delightful floral aroma. This sake's velvety smooth citrus and fruit flavor is perfectly balanced to make you say, “Ahhhh.” Producer Description. 

Kurosawa Brewery has been making sake with traditional methods in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture since 1858. Creamy textured sake, with fruity notes of pineapple and lychee.

Nigori or "cloudy" sake leaves in some of the rice solids to give sake sweetness and texture. Delicious on its own, but pairs well with spicy Chinese or Thai dishes. Serve chilled. Producer Description.

Producer Description 

This sake is a reflection of the brewery's director Masahiko Touda, who dubs himself a fungi maniac. His goal was to brew a sake that would pair with mushrooms. Notes of dried apricot, orange rind, and sweet miso enhances the earthy, deep flavors in the Kinoko Parcel.

We enjoy this sake at room temperature in a wine glass to enjoy its fruitier aromas, and warm in a guinomi to take in the more savory flavors. Touda-san hunts for mushrooms all year, exclaiming, “In Japan, mushrooms can be found throughout the year and are part of our nature and life. May the Fungi be with you!" 

Producer Descrption 

This Junmai Ginjo is made from Dewasansan rice, a descendant of the iconic Omachi heirloom strain. This rice is exclusively grown in Yamagata prefecture and helped to pave the way for Yamagata to receive the first geographical indication (GI), or appellation, in all of Japan.

Grassy, floral aromas with green apple and melon. The finish is soft and smooth.

An excellent pairing with teriyaki salmon, sauteed snow pea shoots or maple glazed ham.

Winemaker Description

Dry and crisp, the flavors are dominated by mixed nuts, fresh cut green grass and other earthier flavors. Mediumbodied with a rich mouthfeel, followed by a lengthy and dry finish. Pairs well with hearty grains, mushrooms, beef, lamb, and BBQ sauce. 

Winemaker Description 

Made using the Kimoto brewing method, a rare process, Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto sake is approachable with notes of dried pair and coconut custard.  It is medium bodied and dry with fruity undertone that complements it perfectly.  Enjoy cold or warm.

Producer Descrption 

Local, all-natural aodani plums are soaked in Tozai sake for over three months resulting in an incredibly balanced sake with tart, juicy acidity on the finish. Plum blossoms are known as "The Flowers of Peace" in Japan and symbolize growth, renewal, and awakening.

Aromas of almond and marzipan followed by plum, apricot, and cherry on the palate. The soft tartness and acidity balance the finish with a slightly sweet smoothness.
Pair with pulled pork, glazed salmon, or desserts like peach cobbler. 

Winemaker Description 

Ginjo is a special reserve connoisseur class of sake. Most sakes are brewed with rice that has been milled 30%. For our Ginjo we use rice that is polished over 50%. Additionally, we use a special strain of yeast that allows for fermentation at a cooler temperature. The result of the slower, longer process is a silky-smooth, rich and fruity flavor. Delicate, dry and silky smooth with a texture that is soft and intriguing! Serve chilled, perfect by itself or with lightly seasoned foods! 

The brewer uses rice that is polished over 50%. Additionally, they use a special strain of yeast that allows for fermentation at a cooler temperature. The result of the slower, longer process is a silky-smooth, rich texture and a fruity flavor.

Producer Description

Dreamy Clouds is quite special because its milling rate of 59% technically qualifies it as Junmai Ginjo grade - a rare quality level for a nigori (cloudy) sake. It presents an opportunity to move Nigori drinkers forward to new styles of sake.

Bright and lean in the mouth, unlike many Nigori, and the impact is chewy with sweet rice flavors intermingling with the nutty and slightly fruity characteristics of the sake.

Pair with spicy noodle dishes, risotto, or white fish.

Our Professional Review

Nutty, dark plum, tangy and citrus tinged finish.

Winemaker Description

Light and easy drinking sake named after Japan’s colorful koi fish that represent good fortune and luck. This sake represents the combination of vibrant colors, patterns, and shimmering scales that have earned Japanese koi fish the moniker “living jewels."

Our Professional Review

67Wine.com Rand Sieger | Light, soft sake with notes of banana, citrus and Asian pear.

Producer Description 

Kawatsuru translates to “river crane” and comes from the sighting of a crane in the river behind the brewery. Crane of Paradise is described as “umakuchi,” a combination between sweet, dry and umami flavors. The perfect summertime sip!

Juicy notes of grapefruit and freshly cut grass, with a hint of salted pineapple. Crisp, dry finish with an almost effervescent energy behind it.

Try with Pizza with prosciutto/speck or smoked salmon with cream cheese. 

Winemaker Description 

This light sake is seamlessly put together. Just sweet enough for sipping chilled on a warm day, with rarefied flavor notes that impart a declasse elegance, and a finish that is pleasantly dry.