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Happily, as of today, we are back to tasting sake and this is a grand place to start! It has a very pretty nose of banana, lychee and melon. A real pleasure just to smell. In the mouth, it has a rich mouthfeel, with additional banana, vanilla cream, and a (light) hint of apricot. There is a nice dryness to counteract the overall richness of the taste. I tasted this chilled but, not especially cold. I can't wait to see what we will taste next week!

Dassai is the flagship sake brand of Asahi Shuzo, founded in Yamaguchi Prefecture and known for concentrating its production on junmai daiginjo. This designation requires rice polished to 50% or less of its original weight and is made without added distilled alcohol. “Composing the Future” is presented here in a 720ml bottle.

Junmai Daiginjo is a premium sake classification requiring rice polished to 50% or less of its original weight, with no added distilled alcohol. This 720ml First Edition release from Sake Ono is produced in Japan on Honshu, the country’s largest island and its historic center of sake brewing.

If you're looking for a clean and bright sake that will pair well with meats and cheeses and vegetables, look no further. This is it! Of course, it will also pair very well with sashimi and sushi. Clean and quite bright, with light to medium body, it has mellow citrus flavors with white melon and tart green fruits. It widens slightly on the mid-palate and expands with a very nice hint of creaminess. Simply put, it's pretty much perfect with a huge array of foods or just as enjoyable by itself or even in a cocktail. They even gave me a recipe for a Vesper martini with this sake as a key ingredient. That also looks delicious!

Kirinzan Brewery was founded in 1843 in Tsugawa, a historic river town in Niigata Prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu. This Blue Bottle carries the Junmai Daiginjo designation, reserved for sake made without added distilled alcohol and from rice polished to 50% or less of its original weight.

Humoto saketen was founded in 1897 in what is now the Izuma neighborhood of Tosa City. Kameizumi, meaning turtle's spring, is a reference to the water source from a spring which is part of Niyado river system, which is as not run dry since long before the Edo period, even in periods of extreme drought. This fertile region in Kochi prefecture is on the southern coast of Shikoku Island. At the base of Hage Mountain, the low lying coast plain is covered in rice fields. Kameizumi is dedicated to producing "delicious, enjoyable to drink, and distinctive." Eternal Spring is their flag ship product. Made with the Cel-24 yeast strain, which was developed in collaboration with other Kochi breweries and using two different kinds of rice. Hatannishiki from Hiroshima, across the bay from Tosa City and Matsuyama Me, from nearby Ehime prefecture all polished to 50%. Unpasteurized and undiluted (Namazake Genshu) it is sold year round, unlike most Namasake. The bold yeast flavors of undiluted Namazake are contrasted by a very vibrant and powerful fruitiness. Rich and textured without moving into the overtly sweet flavors, this sake as the brewer describes, easy to drink, yet not boring or predictable at all!

Ohmine Shuzou was founded in 1822 in Mine, Yamaguchi, and returned to sake production in 2010 after more than half a century of dormancy. This “3 Grain” bottling uses Omachi, a historic sake rice variety discovered in Okayama in the 19th century and valued as a parent of many later brewing-rice cultivars.

I, like many in this industry, am deeply skeptical of celebrity backed brands. Too often the famous name is little more than a marketing vehicle, detached from the actual liquid in the bottle. But on the rare occasion when the person behind the label is genuinely invested, not just financially but creatively, there is at least a chance for something compelling. What’s far rarer is a project where that involvement extends all the way through blending and production, anchored by a real connection to place. That is exactly what makes Rui Hachimura’s collaboration with Masuda Brewery worth serious attention. Hachimura isn’t just lending his name here, he’s working with one of Toyama’s most respected producers, a brewery long known for championing a drier, more refined house style that stands apart from the flashier, fruit driven profiles that dominate the export market. Masuda has built its reputation on precision, restraint, and clarity, and this blend reflects those values with remarkable fidelity. The aromatic profile leans subtle rather than showy, offering delicate suggestions of young mango, pear blossom, and a faint mineral edge that recalls crushed stone. It’s not about overt richness, but about purity and balance. On the palate, the sake walks a fine line between texture and lift. There is real weight here, but it never tips into heaviness, the structure keeping everything taut and composed. The finish is clean, persistent, and quietly complex, inviting another sip rather than overwhelming the senses. It’s a style that rewards attention but remains effortlessly drinkable. More importantly, it succeeds where so many prestige bottlings fail. This isn’t trying to impress through excess or gimmickry. It’s thoughtful, authentic, and genuinely delicious. It outclasses plenty of “luxury” sake that cost more and deliver less. We’re proud to stock our favorite Laker’s sake, not because of what he does on the court, but because this is simply excellent sake. Kanpai.

Asahi Shuzo produces Dassai in Yamaguchi Prefecture using Yamada Nishiki, Japan’s renowned sake-brewing rice. The “39” denotes a polishing ratio of 39%, meaning 61% of each rice grain is milled away before brewing. This junmai daiginjo is presented in a convenient 300ml bottle.

Banana cream and anise seeds are present throughout the pallet. This Daiginjo is light and dry with a smooth finish. It is recommended to be served cold between 40-60 degrees. Fresh oysters and fish go well with this sake.

Dassai Blue is brewed in Hyde Park, New York, at the American brewery established by Japan’s Asahi Shuzo, producer of Dassai sake. “50” refers to the rice polishing ratio: the grains are milled until 50% of their original weight remains. This 720ml Junmai Daiginjo is the dry expression in the Dassai Blue range.

The Asahi Shuzo brewery took a gamble when it restructured to focus solely on Junmai Daiginjo sake, but the gamble paid off and brought us this delightful sake. Thanks to them you can now try high quality sake at a reasonable price. Dassai "45" is the better version of the popular Dassai "50" which was known for its premium quality worldwide. With engaging flavors and easy pair-ability its no wonder that this sake is popular everywhere. Drink this floral daiginjo cold with sashimi, crudites, and pickles. Bring Dassai 45 to a dinner or housewarming party for something a little elegant that won’t break the bank.

Yuki Otoko is made by Aoki Shuzo, a brewery founded in 1717 in Niigata Prefecture’s snowy Uonuma area. The name means “snow man” and references a benevolent figure from regional folklore said to help travelers through deep snow. As a junmai sake, it is brewed without added distilled alcohol.

This is an undiluted (genshu) Junmai Daiginjo brewed with top class Yamada Nishiki rice from the Hyogo Prefecture, its home ground. Yamada Nishiki rice does not break even if polished to a high degree. After steaming, the rice has a high water content and is very elastic, so that it can produce outstanding koji. Especially when the koji-making process takes longer than 50 hours and is carried out for a long time at high temperatures, Yamada Nishiki shows its strength. Brewed with the apple yeast discovered by the fourth director of the Nakao Sake Brewery, Kiyomaro Nakao, it won the First Prize at the National Competition of New Sake in 1948. Maboroshi Kurobako loyally preserves the production method of that time and today's expression is a faithful modern recreation. The Nakao Sake Brewery was established in 1871. The superb quality of its water is one of the main reasons in the town of Takehara, where it is located, has become a sake brewing center for Japan.

Dassai is the flagship label of Asahi Shuzo, a brewery based in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, renowned for focusing on junmai daiginjo sake. The “35” denotes a 35% rice-polishing ratio, meaning 65% of each grain’s outer portion is removed before brewing; this release is presented in a 720ml bottle.

Asahi Shuzo Co is a Japanese brewery that produces sake under the Dassai brand. Founded in 1948, it is located in the mountains of the Yamaguchi prefecture, well positioned for supplies of clean water and equipped with a 200-feet (60-meter) deep well. The brewery is unusual in that it focuses entirely on premium Junmai Daiginjo sake. Top-grade Yamada Nishiki rice is sourced from contracted farms in nine different prefectures. Dassai was the first sake to be made with a centrifuge in place of a conventional press to achieve extra smoothness and cleaner flavors. The brand name Dassai means "otter festival". *Kosher since 2011*

Asahi Shuzo produces Dassai in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a focus on junmai daiginjo sake. For Dassai 23, Yamada Nishiki rice is polished until just 23% of each grain remains before brewing—a demanding preparation reflected directly in the cuvée’s name. This edition comes in a compact 300ml bottle.

Founded in 1915 in Wakayama, Yoshimura Hideo Shoten is home to master brewer Akiko Fujita, a protégé of the celebrated Naohiko Noguchi and an advocate of traditional sake-making methods. The brewery’s Kurumazaka range takes its name from the historic pilgrimage road beside its home in Iwade. For this junmai, Fujita uses the labor-intensive kimoto method to develop the fermentation starter, allowing lactic acid bacteria to establish themselves naturally. The sake is made with Ishikawa-grown Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 65%, yellow koji, yeast No. 1401 and water from the Kinokawa River. After fermentation, it is pressed in a Yabuta, filtered through cloth and pasteurized. Bottled at 16.6% ABV, it reflects Fujita’s focus on texture and the savory character of rice.

Rice polishing is central to junmai daiginjo: the rice must be milled to no more than 50% of its original weight. Senjo's Japanese sake bears this designation, which also indicates that no distilled alcohol is added during brewing.

Okunomatsu has brewed sake in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima, since 1716, carrying more than three centuries of local brewing history. “Ihei” is a daiginjo, a classification requiring rice grains to be polished to 50% or less of their original weight before fermentation.

This is (most likely) my favorite sake of 2025, so far. It has an exciting nose of green melon, plantain banana and savory spice. Sooooo interesting! On the palate, medium-bodied, cantaloupe, additional green melon, fresh ginger and light honey. Like the "50", it also retains a long finish of fresh and crisp minerality. I tasted it before hearing of the price and expected it to be well over $100.00. So, the price was a very happy surprise. Very well done!

One of the driest Nigori sakes I've ever tasted, Dassai's 50 Junmai Daiginjo is made only for the US market, and we’re lucky enough to carry it. Fresh with cantaloupe fruit and a super satisfying creamy texture, this is subtly sweeter than unfiltered sake, yet the finish is bright and crisp. Lovely.

This is insane - while not technically a vermouth because it doesn’t use wine, it’s basically Japanese sake based vermouth. It drinks like a less sweet blanc vermouth, but not quite dry. It’s got all the lift and bright aromatics of sake taken to 11 by the addition of Japanese citrus’ like Yuzu and Kabosu and made even still more complex by peppercorns and mugwort along with a host of other bitters and spices local to Kumamoto. Try it in a martini or just on the rocks with a twist. It’s exceptional.

IWA was founded by Richard Geoffroy, formerly chef de cave at Dom Pérignon, and is based in Japan’s Toyama Prefecture. Assemblage—the blending of component sakes—is central to the project, connecting Geoffroy’s Champagne experience with Japanese sake production. IWA 5 “Assemblage 5” continues that approach as a junmai daiginjo sake.

A complex and savory Niigata sake with a name that draws inspiration from the legend of fox weddings around Mt. Kirin. Rich and dry style sake with notes of ripe banana, jackfruit, mushroom, and malted barley. This would pair wonderfully with most meats, including pork, steak, fish, or poultry, and savory dishes.

Light and smoky, with a notes of honeydew melon and cherry pits. Fragrant and clean, this is a terrific value! It comes from Yamagata.

Product details coming soon.

Cowboy Junmai Ginjo sake is bold and big for a sake. At 19% abv you definitely feel the intensity. You get umami, big lush fruits, and cooked rice on the palette, all the while being hit in the face with the alcohol, but ending in a smooth finish. It is great for serious sake lovers that want a bolder tasting sake and can be served room temperature or slightly chilled at 40 degrees centigrade or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It pairs best with richer dishes as well!

Dassai 45 is made by Asahi Shuzo in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, using Yamada Nishiki rice polished until 45% of each grain remains. Its Junmai Daiginjo classification denotes highly polished rice and fermentation without added distilled alcohol. This 300ml format offers a compact introduction to one of the brewery’s signature expressions.

Isojiman has taken great care in sourcing the very best sake rice available for over 30 years, back at a time when that was not a priority for most of the industry. Rice farmers have remained loyal to the brewery as well, often sending their best harvests to the brewery. The Isojiman Junmai Ginjo shows remarkably bright tropical fruit with notes of apricot and pear, all made possible by AAA rated Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo Prefecture, milled to 55%. Easily one of the best producers in Japan, which boasts a cult like following there. Few producers consistently produce such high quality sake at such an amazing price.

Futsu-shu is Japan’s everyday sake category, outside the special-designation classifications that include ginjo and daiginjo. It does not carry those categories’ rice-polishing requirements. Joto’s “Graffitti” comes in a 200ml can, pairing this everyday designation with a compact alternative to a full-size sake bottle.

Composed of Koshi Tanei with a semaibuai of 50% and an SMV of 1.5, Seven Junmai Ginjo 50 Sake is one to drink cool rather than cold as its pure elegance will be shut down by a cold serving temperature. When served cool— anise, sandalwood, melon, green banana and jasmine notes combine in a precise expression of fine sake. This is truly exceptional sake.

Fukucho is made by Imada Shuzo Honten in Akitsu, Hiroshima, a coastal town closely associated with the development of Hiroshima’s soft-water brewing tradition. Led by brewer Miho Imada, the brewery produces “Moon on the Water” as a junmai ginjo—sake brewed without added distilled alcohol—in this convenient 300ml format.

This beautiful Junmai Ginjo is aged for a minimum of 3 years in Hakkai Brewery’s snow-storage room, called the Yukimuro. The flavor is initially subdued, before it unfolds into the rich and solid sake that it is. While nestled comfortably in tanks chilled by literal tons of pure white snow, it develops into a round and smooth sake with a subtle and fine aroma and a mellow, dry finish.

Namazake skips the pasteurization customary in sake production, making refrigerated storage important. Chikurin’s “Spring Seasonal” combines that unpasteurized approach with the junmai ginjo designation: sake made without added distilled alcohol, using rice polished to retain no more than 60% of each grain’s original weight.

Roga carries both Junmai Daiginjo and Genshu designations: Junmai Daiginjo is made from rice polished to 50% or less of its original weight, without added distilled alcohol, while Genshu indicates sake bottled without the customary dilution with water after brewing. This 750ml expression is produced in California.

I'm a bit late writing up this selection for week three of "Sake Saturday". As opposed to our previous two selections, this one has a more muted nose with the majority of the scents focused upon cantaloupe. There are light hints of banana and macadamia nut. In the mouth, it starts out on the richer side but, suddenly turns very dry and crisp. For me, it is once again the cantaloupe fruit that comes to the forefront, underscored by green fruits and sugar snap pea. A very interesting choice for the week!

Michizakura was founded by the Yamada family in Gifu Prefecture in 1877. In 2020, sixth-generation brewer Koji Yamada moved the operation north to Higashikawa, Hokkaido, where a modern, publicly owned brewery gave him the opportunity to work with the region’s cool climate, local rice and mountain water. This junmai daiginjo is made entirely from Yamadanishiki grown in Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, with both the koji rice and the rice added to fermentation polished to 50% of their original size. The brewery uses yellow koji, a sokujo starter and yeast No. 1401, then presses the sake in a Yabuta. It is filtered without charcoal and pasteurized once in bottle. Bottled at 15% ABV.

Founded in 1884, Sekai Itto is a long-established sake producer in Wakayama Prefecture. Ryujin-No-Yuzu combines sake with yuzu, the Japanese citrus prized in food and drink traditions, linking the brewery’s regional heritage with one of Japan’s best-known native ingredients in a 720ml bottle.

Yucho Shuzo, founded in 1719 in Gose City, Nara Prefecture, is one of Japan’s oldest continually operating sake breweries. It gained modern acclaim with the launch of the Kaze no Mori line in 1998, which broke tradition by focusing on unpasteurized, undiluted, and freshly bottled sake styles that emphasize terroir and vibrancy. Kaze no Mori Tsuyuhakaze 507 is a bold, expressive sake that delivers far more than its clean finish initially suggests. Brewed with Tsuyuhakaze rice, cultivated exclusively in Nara, this Junmai Daiginjo showcases the unique richness that comes from the rice’s large starchy core. While the SMV of -2 hints at a subtle sweetness, the real story here is balance. Creamy, textural depth rides alongside a crisp, lifted profile shaped by #7 yeast and a zippy 1.7 acidity. The result is a sake with both finesse and volume, at once refined and full of character. At 16% ABV and best served chilled, “507” is built to impress across a wide spectrum of cuisine. The lush, layered mid-palate makes it a surprisingly versatile pairing partner. From grilled squid to the sweet heat of Pad Thai or the rich spice of birria tacos, this sake rises to the challenge, complementing bold flavors without getting lost in the mix. Kaze no Mori has always been a favorite among those chasing freshness and complexity. This bottling stands out in their lineup and is a must-try for sake lovers seeking something polished, personality-driven, and distinctly regional.

Silky in texture with citrus notes and a clean finish, Kizakura "Bushido Way of the Warrior" is a genshu – undiluted – sake that hits hard but goes down easily. A beautifully classic, dry Ginjo sake, perhaps its most intriguing selling point is the packaging: awesome cans with reusable lids! Refreshing and portable, this 180ml release from Kizakura is perfect for an al fresco sushi stop.

The soft and subtle nose on this sake has scents of cantaloupe, green melon and jasmine. On the palate, pear, clean clay, light (white) pepper and more melon, as well as a light touch of minerals. It is quite rich and mouth-coating. Not too dry and not overly sweet. Strikes a good balance in between. Wonderful for the price!

Yuzu sake made from high quality sake mixed with fresh yuzu juice and a bit of sugar for added balance.

This daiginjo sake, produced with very soft water from the underground river called Kuzuryugawa (Nine-Headed Dragon River), erupts with tropical fruit aromas of banana, pineapple, and melon. The sake has a wonderfully rich body, full of fresh melon and ripe banana flavors, which evaporate into a crisp, dry finish that leaves you wanting another sip. Particularly suited to shellfish, this sake would pair beautifully with oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, or ceviche. Delicious and elegant!

Kimoto sake begins with yama-oroshi, the traditional process of rhythmically mashing steamed rice and koji to build the fermentation starter. “Rhythm of the Centuries” pairs that historic method with the junmai classification, meaning it is brewed from rice, water, koji, and yeast without added distilled alcohol.

This actually does look like dreamy clouds! Unfiltered and cloudy, like Karl the Fog! It has a plush nose of vanilla bean, melon and red licorice. On the palate, initially, there is a little weight but, it is quick to come forth with dry and clean flavors of sweet white rice, vanilla ice cream, and banana. It also has a nice tangy finish. Delicious!

With 16 generations of history, Tomita Brewery brews using old-school and traditional methods. They use locally grown indigenous Tamazakae rice polished to 60%, and are blessed with natural spring water from the nearby Ibuki mountains which is perfect for brewing. Every step of the process is done by hand by 1 toji and 3 kurabito, or brewery workers. The sake is layered with abundant flavors and aromas. Fresh, bright and dry, it has notes of ripe tropical fruits, and a luscious smooth texture.

Aizu Chujo is produced by Tsurunoe Shuzo, a family-run brewery founded in 1794 in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture. This 720ml junmai belongs to the pure-rice sake category, brewed from rice, rice koji, and water without the addition of distilled alcohol.