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KabKab
東北在住。 2022年あたりから本格的に全国の日本酒に関心を持ち出しました。2024年以降外飲みが増えてゆっくり更新になりそうですが、少しずつ飲んでいこうと思います。 モダンもクラシックも何でもいけますが、どちらかといえばややクラシックで旨味とキレがあるものが好み。 さけのわの投稿は主に家飲みの感想の備忘録です(外飲みでも落ち着いて書ける環境なら書くことがあります)。

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238

Favorite Brands

12

Sake Map

The origins of the sake you've drunk are colored on the map.

Timeline

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55
Kab
Day 1, just a little room temperature. Slightly lemony, orangey fruitiness with a delicious flavor that is crisp and clean. Warmed. The fruitiness becomes more orangey, and the umami is more pronounced, though not as strong. The higher the temperature, the stronger the sharpness becomes, but it also gives the impression of being a normal dry sake. Personally, I prefer a lower temperature. Cold sake on the second day. The aroma is mild and the taste is quite sour with a hint of melon or lemon. The acidity is effective as it is, and it is crisp and sharp. It is good at any temperature, from chilled to lukewarm, but the acidity is quite strong at chilled or room temperature, so personally, I would say that lukewarm is the best by a narrow margin. It is a highly finished sake with fruitiness and umami, very Tsugaru-like. It also has a nice sharpness. The wide range of temperatures is also a plus. It is a modern version of jyobari and has evolved to a higher level of perfection. It can be stored at room temperature and is fairly inexpensive for a new brand at 1,650 yen.
Japanese>English
Takachiyoからくち純米 美山錦+19 火入
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62
Kab
I didn't expect to get the brand name wrong, and I apologize for the inconvenience. m(_ _)m The first day was at room temperature. Almost no aroma. It has a rather light umami taste of rice, with almost no sharpness, and seems to linger for a long time before receding. It is not so much light and dry as it is a little bit thin and rather smooth. A very mild standard sake. The third day, it was warmed up to 40°C and 45°C. Both temperatures are similar, but 45°C has a more pleasant sharpness with a little bitterness in addition to spiciness, and it has a little more body. 50°C 50°C. This one has more umami. At 50°C, the flavor is more umami. It is quite spicy but also has umami, and it finishes crisp and clear. A classic with a slight sense of maturity. It goes well with nabe (hot pot), cheese, boiled fish, soaked vegetables, salads, and anything else, but personally, I prefer it when I can taste the rice flavor.
Japanese>English
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51
Kab
There are quite a few stores that do not carry the lowest grade of Junmai, and this is my first time drinking it. On the first day, it was served cold. The melon-like sweet aroma is subtle but stronger than expected. When drunk, the rice flavor with a peachy sweetness rises slightly, and the spiciness, though not strong, gradually fades away. Heated to 40°C (104°F) on the fifth day. The slightly medicinal taste takes precedence over the spiciness, and it becomes crisp and sharp. At 45°C, the umami of the rice comes to the fore, the medicinal flavor recedes, and the sharpness becomes bitter. 50°C gives it a stronger sharpness. On the 6th day at room temperature. It still has a bitterness, but it also has a sharpness. It is sweeter and more modern than I expected, and I feel that the warmed sake embodies the original image of Zao, but personally, I would prefer it cold or at room temperature by a narrow margin. The balance is excellent. The balance is excellent, and the cost performance is excellent.
Japanese>English
翠玉特別純米酒 無濾過生
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58
Kab
Melon aroma is slight. When you drink it, the peach or sugar-like sweetness is slightly delayed, and the umami of rice swells with some stimulation. A slight bitterness is followed by a pungent spiciness, and then the taste slowly becomes sharp. It sounds simple when written like this, but it has just the right amount of modernity and umami, and is a very complete, gentle, modern Junmai sake.
Japanese>English
Kintsuru本醸造 しぼりたて生
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51
Kab
There are no distributors in Tohoku, so it is not easy to purchase. Unusually, this is the first of two bottles of the same brand purchased at the same time. The aroma was melon. When you drink it, it has a slightly alcoholic mellowness, followed by the umami of rice, and then it finishes with a moderate alcohol taste. There is not much syrupiness. The taste is very intense. At 45°C, the acidity is still strong, but there is also a slight sweetness. 60°C gives a slightly bitter taste. At 45°C, the acidity is still strong, but there is a slight sweetness. 60°C gives it a slightly bitter taste. It has a wonderful balance and a mellow umami taste, despite being aluzoe. This is a great sake for 1,100 yen.
Japanese>English
夢窓特別純米生原酒 熟成バージョン
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58
Kab
This was a completely new brand to me, but I bought it immediately through mail order. It seems to be a brewery that produces a very small amount. It is a town of Matsusaka beef, so perhaps it goes well with the meat. There is not much information disclosed, and BY is unknown. It was opened at room temperature. It has a rather strong alcohol taste and some nuttiness. It is rather yellowish. When drunk, it has a clear, watery transparency, with a slight ripeness like cashews, and it finishes quickly. When heated to 40°C, it is quite sour, but when raised to 50°C, it has an orange-like ripeness with a sharp sharp sharpness. When cooled, it has an orange or sugary sweetness that accompanies the ripeness. It also has a good sharpness. The high temperature and warmed sake has a more orthodox ripeness, which is different from the room temperature sake. Among the sharp types, at room temperature, it has a clear and transparent feeling that is unique, and can be drunk without giving the impression of being aged too much. This is a very high quality aged sake. It is rare, so you may or may not be able to drink the same one twice, but I liked it. This is the kind of bargain that makes it hard to stop visiting local liquor stores.
Japanese>English
Hanzo特別純米酒 うこん錦
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59
Kab
This is my first time drinking this brand and we don't carry it around here very often, but I trust that Mie's fire-aged standard Junmai is around here. The official recommendation is to warm it up to lukewarm. 40 degrees Celsius. A little strong alcoholic aroma and some nutty aged flavor. At 45°C, not much change, but the ripeness fades a bit and becomes milder. On the third day, we served it cold. This is also a nice, refreshing sake, but the ripe, syrupy flavor clings to it a bit. Before drinking it, I had an image of a brand with a modern but sharp taste, but I was surprised to find that it seems to have aged well. It is definitely suitable for warming up.
Japanese>English
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50
Kab
This will probably be my first craft saké review. What do you think of the specs on this one, which seem to focus on acidity and are modern? It seems to feature the use of germinated brown rice. Also, the mail-order source liquor store labeled it as orikarami, but it is a clear sake, and I suspect it is a regular product. The aroma is melon-like and floral, like a rose, and there is a strong acidity when you drink it. It has a strong acidity. It gives the impression of being wild. As it is, it has a slight sweetness and bitterness like brown rice, and a matured flavor. Surprisingly, it goes well with light dishes and salads rather than strong dishes. On the fourth day, it is heated, but the sourness becomes stronger, and while it has the sweetness of brown rice, it becomes like an oddball sake. It is not bad, but it is best served cold. It is a modern sake, but it has a floral rather than fruity impression, and on the other hand, it has a strong rice flavor, perhaps due to the use of brown rice, making it a unique sake. Personally, I prefer the sharpness of the sake, but the number of distributors is increasing at a rapid pace, and I would like to try other specifications next time.
Japanese>English
Urazato純米うすにごり 2nd生酒
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49
Kab
Popular nigori, and with the image of a dry brand, set your sights on it. It is soft and smooth. When you drink it, you can smell the melon aroma, not all at once, but softly, and even after drinking it, there is a thin melon-like sweetness. There is a slight bitterness, but both the sweetness and bitterness seem to slowly fade away. It is good with fish, vegetables, and light mozzarella cheese. The bitterness takes care of it. Contrary to the image of the brewery, there is almost no spiciness. I guess Kirizukuba and Urasato are different brands. On the second day, we warmed it up at 40°C. It was quite sour and melon-like. At 40℃, the melon-like nuance fades and turns orangey, the rice-like umami comes out a little, and the bitterness or spiciness gives it a sharp edge. 45℃, the bitterness is a little too much. When cooled, the sourness almost disappears and the melon is restored. It is best when cooled and heated. It is a very versatile nigori that is also good during meals. There is no sense of alcohol, and it is hard to believe that the alcohol content is 15%. The lack of negative elements is quintessential.
Japanese>English
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47
Kab
This brewery was revived in 2023 after a 41-year absence, and was manufactured in November 2024, so it is probably in its second season (it seems to be a four-season brew). I bought it thinking that it had a good reputation in various places and that I could not go wrong with it. Cold sake. It has a light gassy feeling. The aroma is modern, pineapple-like, but with a hint of rice. When you drink it, it has a chiri-chiri-yami flavor with a hint of bitterness, like brown rice, and it gradually fades away. It would be even better if it had a bit more sharpness. On the third day, it was heated. The temperatures of 40℃ and 45℃ are not so different, but 40℃ with the sweetness is the right temperature. It is not overpowering, but it is moderate and rather modern. The bitterness is quite present, but it is pleasant and not bothersome. It is sold only in the Ichinoseki area, but it is a good candidate. 1210 yen is a reasonable price.
Japanese>English
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50
Kab
As for how it came about, the label needs no explanation. A spec that will probably never be drunk again, and we will take it to heart. Room temperature. The aroma is a little sugary and orangey, and when you drink it, it has an elegant sugary sweetness, which is cut off by bitterness rather than alcohol spiciness. 45°C. Not much different from room temperature. Not much different from room temperature, but the sweetness and sharpness are a little more pronounced. At 50℃, the sweetness weakens a little and becomes tighter. A medium temperature is recommended. Cold sake on the second day. It is slightly sweet when you drink it, and the umami expands for a moment, and then the sharpness is enhanced. It is also well-balanced and refreshing. It has a gentle sweetness that is typical of Shirakiku from Okunoto, while the addition of alcohol gives it a nice sharpness. The price is also kept low because it is a honjozo. This will be a landmark bottle this year and one that will leave a lasting impression.
Japanese>English
Suginishiki特別純米 生酛仕込 2023BY
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57
Kab
The first bottle opened in the new year is my favorite Sugi-Nishiki. From room temperature. Slightly nutty aroma, nuttiness and minerality are a bit thin on the palate. The overall impression is also watery. The unique caramel-like sweetness does not appear, and the sourness slowly fades away. It is left at room temperature for about two weeks to warm up. The flavor has opened up considerably. The acidity is quite noticeable. There is still a nutty minerality, and a hint of sweetness (not necessarily fruity) hidden by the acidity, but it is dry. The sweetness is hidden by the acidity (fruitiness), but it is also dry. It is also good at 50°C. Perhaps due to the fact that it was once fired, there are some changes after opening the bottle, and it is even better when it is warmed. It is still young, but the character of Sugi-Nishiki can be seen.
Japanese>English
Banshuikkon七宝 純米大吟醸 生
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51
Kab
Purchased in trust as a New Year's Eve/New Year's drink. It has a slight smell of cemedine. When drunk, it has a rather bold rice flavor along with lychee-like fruitiness. When the bottle is opened, it has a slightly syrupy alcohol taste, but it diminishes as time goes by. The end is sharp with a bitter taste. It is a modern reasonably priced Junmai Daiginjo with a high degree of perfection and umami, although not outstanding.
Japanese>English
奥六特別純米酒 初しぼり First生酒
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51
Kab
It is a mail order addition in a 300 ml bottle of another brand. The aroma is slightly grapefruit or pineapple-like. When you drink it, the sweetness with berry-like acidity comes out first. After that, the sweetness expands further and becomes pineapple-like, while the umami also expands slightly, and the bitterness becomes quite strong at the end, and it finishes crisply. This is the third time I have tasted this brewery's sake, but this time I was most impressed with its modernity due to the fact that it is a new sake. Although I have the impression that this brewery is known for its strong bitterness, the bitterness is used well and the sake has a high degree of perfection.
Japanese>English
川鶴Olive 活性にごり生酒 2021BY
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48
Kab
It is 3 years old, but the gas pressure is quite strong. After a few minutes, the bottle was finally opened. It has a bubbly feeling like champagne and a slight rice taste without much aroma. If you say it is olive, well, I guess it is. When you drink it, it has a white wine-like grape-like mildness and some alcohol, and it pulls up with good flavor and sharpness. It is room temperature on the 7th day after some time has passed. The rice sensation becomes a little stronger. The sweetness becomes much stronger and the bitterness also becomes stronger, making it a battle between the two. It is like a dessert champagne, but with a slight dryness. On the 8th day, it is heated to 40℃. The taste is a little tighter, with the concentrated sweetness and umami of the rice coming out in a small amount, and the bitterness pulling it away, eliminating any lingering bitterness. At 45°C, it is almost the same. It is so clean that you can't tell it has been aged, but the rice flavor is strong for this kind of thing, and you don't feel the thinness of the low-alcohol at all. It is a modern light but normal sake with rice flavor. It has an aptitude for aging.
Japanese>English
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51
Kab
This is my first time drinking this brand, but it is handled by a well-known sake store in Aomori, and I have hesitated to mail order it several times. So I was confident that I would not make a mistake. I was torn between this one and the Yukinaka Hakkoda from the same brewery, but I went with this one. At room temperature. The aroma is slightly banana-like. When you drink it, the umami of rice rises thinly, and if you drink it by itself, it will slowly and gently lift you up with its umami and spiciness. It becomes more crisp when paired with cheese. At 40℃, it has a little more rice flavor. The crisp and sharp taste is better than at room temperature. I personally prefer this brand to be served hotter, so I set the temperature at 50°C. The aroma is not too strong and the taste is mild. The aroma is not too strong and remains mild, but the umami comes out slowly, and the sharpness is enhanced by the slight alcohol taste. I personally prefer this temperature. Sake from the southern region is often sharp without being sweet, and I have the impression that this is also the case here. In addition to cheese, it goes well with kinpira, tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce) of locusts, and ikamentsuchi, a specialty of Aomori. The sake has no cloying taste, and I can sense a high level of technical skill. Next time, I would like to buy some Umakuchi or Sakuta, which has a different character, but with the recent inflation and saturation of brands, I wonder if it will be a problem if they will be able to get them in stock.
Japanese>English
まつちよ
Sorry for the late response, Kab-san. Sakuta is a good sake for a meal. Sakuta is also good, but Shichiriki, which is made by the same company, Morita Shobei, and sold exclusively at liquor stores in Aomori City, is quite good.
Japanese>English
Kab
Good evening, Mr. Matsuchiyo. I personally have the impression that Aomori sake has a common beauty and never misses. I would love to try Shichiriki 😍.
Japanese>English
中島屋プチプチ寿 純米吟醸 火入 2023BY
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50
Kab
The label has a very strong impact. I wanted to drink sake from this brewery, so I bought it immediately. Kanenaka gives the impression of being super classic, but Nakashimaya is a bit different. The aroma is quite modern, with a hint of apples, not strong but present. When you include it, you get an apple or sudachi-like sweetness with quite a bit of sourness, a bit thicker than lemon. Although it calls itself Petit Petit Kotobuki, it is only fire-roasted and has a slight gaseous taste. The bitterness and sourness make it go down rather quickly. At room temperature, it is not so different, but the gassiness is a little less and the bitterness is stronger. It is a modern sake with a good balance of sweet, sour, and bitter tastes, which makes it a good choice during meals.
Japanese>English
米宗山廃酛特別純米 山田錦 無濾過生原酒 2023BY
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36
Kab
According to the liquor store, it is a little less dry than other Yonemune products. 50°C on the first day. Almost no aroma. With an orangey aroma that is almost like a freshly ripe wine, the slightly fruity flavor of the rice slowly trickles in and slowly recedes. Not much change even at room temperature. It has a flavor that is very ripe. On the fifth day at 40°C (104°F), the wine turns dry. At 45℃, the dryness remains, but there is a chocolate-like sweetness. 60℃, it becomes very dry. It is very different depending on the temperature, but I lost all my impressions on the 5th day when I was about to write the last one, so I'm just being random😅. This is 1 year old, and with a low dryness, I feel that it is quite a mature and spicy brand. Note that the alcohol content is high. Next time, should I try a similar spec or the spicier one?
Japanese>English
別嬪純米 White Edition 2023BY
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50
Kab
It is a brand with an image of heated sake, but it seems to be brewed by the brewer's son, so the image is a little different. We started with the heated sake at 40°C (104°F). The aroma is quite spicy at first, followed by the umami of rice. After that, the umami of the rice gradually comes through. At 45℃, the spiciness is quickly snapped off again. At 50°C, the bitterness becomes even stronger, so the best temperature for heating up is 40°C or 45°C. On the second day, serve cold. The lemon-like aroma is subtle. When drunk, it has a lemon or orange flavor, with a fair amount of acidity and a little bit of sweetness. The sharpness is bitter rather than spicy. At room temperature, there is not much change from the cold sake, and the fruity flavor stands out a little and so does the umami. It is not dry with umami, but it is quite dry. It is not too heavy and seems to go well with a variety of dishes.
Japanese>English
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52
Kab
The nose is slightly alcoholic with some melon-like fruitiness. When you drink it, it has some fruitiness, but it also has a much stronger pungency. The taste is crisp and clean, as if cut by a razor blade. It is a typical dry alsode ginjo, but the fact that it does not have a sticky feel to it may be a quintessential feature.
Japanese>English
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