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SakenowaRecord your sake experiences and discover your favorites
AAJIAAJI
学生時代から日本酒に親しみ、2021年1月で112の蔵元の酒を呑んでます。残念ながら味は何となくしか覚えていません。まあ、昔とは味わいも変わっているので、飲み直しをぼちぼちしたいと思ってます。北海道から沖縄県の全県制覇完了。コスパの良い酒、たまには少し高めの酒探してます 2025年半ばでやっと令和3年に有る全国の1164蔵元のうち225蔵元の酒と出会いました。2025年8月25日現在480銘柄達成

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108

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19

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

Timeline

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AAJI
The other day, I visited Myojin Pond, the source of the Ikeyama water in Aso. Adjacent to Myojin Pond is a restaurant called Myojin Soba. There was a buckwheat paste called "buckwheat miso" on sale. I drank sake with miso, remembering an old text from my school days. I drink it while thanking the person who put it in my textbooks for the wonderful and elegant sake drinking of Taira no Nobutoki and Hojo Tokiyori. When I first opened the bottle of Nishi-no-Seki, it didn't suit my palate, but after aging it in the refrigerator, it became more mature. After aging it in the refrigerator, the taste became more relaxed. I think the lingering taste has improved as well. Was it a good match with miso?  On the other hand, the Ko-Imari Sake Brewery's Sumiyama has a sour taste that spreads in the mouth and goes well with buckwheat miso. (Tsurezuregusa, paragraph 215) In his old age, he told a story of the old days, Saemyoji Iridou said, "One night, I was summoned by Saemyoji Iridou, but I could not see his robe, so I was late to change my clothes. He was late in changing his clothes. It is late at night and no one is to be seen. He said, "Bring me a sake bottle and earthenware. I want people to be quiet without snacks. You should ask for even one small thing. He said, "I would like to have a small dish of miso on a shelf in the kitchen. The guests were allowed to offer a few offerings.
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Ubusuna2024 穂増 四農醸
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AAJI
Hokkaido's mizudako (octopus) and raw saury. There is no other way but to drink sake. When the bottle is opened, there is the usual "pop" sound. Slightly carbonated. The aroma is like pineapple. It seems a little more acidic than the other sanshu. It is best with grilled raw saury. Mizudako (Japanese octopus) is also delicious.  Shi-no-jo sake is made from sake rice grown with (1) the land of its birth, (2) indigenous production climate, (3) a spirit of prayer, and (4) no fertilizers or pesticides. The sake is made from rice grown without fertilizers or agricultural chemicals. (4-gos. bottle, regular price 3,280 yen)
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ちぇすたー
Hello AAJ I😃 Hozasu is a very good price for a very classy modern sake ✨. The salt grilled autumn swordfish and the sashimi of the octopus look delicious right now ✨ I'm trying to get a Sanzu, but I can't seem to find it 😅.
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AAJI
Hello, Chesta-san. There are only a limited number of stores in Kumamoto Prefecture that sell Hana-no-Kou Sake Brewery. I also look at the sales dates on the Hana-no-Kou Sake Brewery's Instagram and go there to buy. It's a local advantage that they don't charge for shipping. The saury and the mizudako were both delicious.
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AAJI
I left both of them for almost 3 weeks after opening the package. The Shogen has a mellower taste, but it has a more gorgeous flavor on the palate. Toyo Bijin Hakutsuru Nishiki Jyundo Ittou is no match for it. Both of them are not bothersome to me when stored vertically in the refrigerator. There is also a story that some sake rice (5,000,000 koku per bale is now priced at 18,000 yen to 32,000 yen). Also, the old structure where a 4-ounce bottle was half the price of a 1-ounce bottle has been broken down, and I appreciate sake that does not change in taste. I personally think that many of the Sengkyo bottles tend to lose their flavor after opening, but that's fine. It gives me an excuse to drink it 😊.
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AAJI
I have had two brands of Mimuro Sugi, but this is my first time drinking "Samorosugi". I received two bottles of "Bomobo" and "Bomobo" as part of a Furusato tax payment. next has a melon-like aroma and acidity, and is light and "super slightly carbonated". It has a gentle taste with a hint of lingering aftertaste. I am thankful to the sake god and enjoy it with sashimi. I envy people in Nara prefecture. I compared it with Toyo Bijin Jyundo Ittou Limited Junmai Ginjo Hakutsuru Nishiki, which I opened the other day, and found that the acidity of the latter was lighter than the former. It is a strange expression, but I feel that the acidity of the Sanomorosugi comes vertically down my throat, while that of the Toyo Bijin spreads horizontally. I don't know what you are talking about 😅 Bodai Hashihashi will be my next pleasure 😊.
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Masuizumi純米大吟醸 (熊本酵母)「UNO²」一段仕込
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AAJI
It's been 13 days since I opened the package. The taste has hardly deteriorated at all. The balance between the full flavor and acidity is pleasant. In my experience, this has become one of the 9 brands with almost no deterioration in taste. A university student from Kumamoto studied sake brewing. He was inspired to make sake using the local "Kumamoto yeast". I am also grateful to "Manjusen" for recognizing this. We hope that he will become a young man who will lead the sake industry in the future. I enjoy it with okra from my vegetable garden. Even more delicious! 😊.
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Koimari古伊万里 純米吟醸 すみやま
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AAJI
I went to the Saga Prefectural Art Museum to see an exhibition of Ukiyo-e paintings by Katsushika Hokusai and Ando Hiroshige. I found a sake shop on the street from the parking lot to the museum. On the way home, I asked for a recommendation and was recommended "Ko-Imari Junmai Ginjo Sumiyama". He said that until recently it was only sold in Imari City. Sumiyama Junmai Ginjo is brewed with locally contracted sake rice, "Saganohana" grown in terraced rice paddies in the Sumiyama area. It has a sweet, fragrant ginjo aroma, a pleasantly fresh gaseous taste, and a good sharpness. 1,750 yen for a 4-goupe bottle.
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Masumi純米大吟醸「UNO²」一段仕込
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AAJI
It has been 8 days since I opened the package. The taste is stable and almost unchanged. The hint of aroma and the lingering aroma are both wonderful. The lingering aftertaste is long. A young man from Kumamoto tried to make a sake more suited for aging, aiming to make a sake with a lot of flavor and acidity, and challenged the one-stage brewing process in which kakemai, koji, and water are added at once! He also used Kumamoto yeast, the pride of Kumamoto. We have high expectations for him in the future!
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AAJI
Now, in order to enjoy the change of sake after opening the bottle? I keep the bottles that have some sake left in them upright in the refrigerator. Kawanakajima Genmai seems to have become milder after 18 days. The natto type aroma from the melon type taste seems to have become even stronger. I think it is quirky and delicious though.  Senkou Sparkler must be delicate. It has been 2 days since it was opened, but it seems to have deteriorated a little. The first hint of aroma is not so strong. It seems that SENKOKU is not good if it is left unopened for a few days.
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Toyobijin限定純米吟醸 白鶴錦 醇道一途
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AAJI
Today was not the day I planned to drink it, but I saw it checked in yesterday and was curious to open it. It is made from Hakutsuru-nishiki, a sibling of Yamada-nishiki (I had never heard of it before). Just by opening the bottle, the gorgeous aroma spread strongly. The lingering aroma and aftertaste are also wonderful. And why is that so? The white ratio is 35% for koji rice and 50% for kake rice, and the price is 1,980 yen for a 4-pack bottle.
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ジェイ&ノビィ
Good evening, AAJI 😃! Congratulations on your 100 check-in ㊗️ at Toyo Bijin which I opened out of curiosity 🎉Let's keep drinking and having fun 🤗.
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AAJI
Jay & Nobby Good evening. Thank you very much. We are glad to have found a good sake for this memorable milestone. I'm excited to see what I'm going to do with the 19 more brands I have left to reach the 500 brand mark. (It's been 45 years...)
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ma-ki-
Good evening, AAJI! Congratulations on your 100th check-in 🎉! I had a bottle of Hakutsuru-nishiki from Jundo Isshu last year and it was a blissful sake with a nice sweet taste 😋. Let's continue to enjoy sake more and more 🤗
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ワカ太
AAJI, congratulations on your 100 check-ins 🎉㊗️👏The Mellow Road Isshu series of Toyo Bijin is delicious no matter which one you drink 😋Let's continue to meet many more wonderful sakes and make your sake life more fulfilling😊.
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AAJI
Thank you ma-ki-. I will make it a passing point and continue to devote myself to it. Hakutsuru-nishiki is really delicious. This price for this taste. I am very happy.
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AAJI
Thank you very much, Wakata-san. This was the second brand of Jundo Ittou following Yumachi. I think Hakutsuru Nishiki was better than my favorite Omachi. I would like to compare them someday!
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Masaaki Sapporo
Hello AAJI😃Congratulations on your 100 check-ins🎊This oriental beauty looks delicious 😋.
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AAJI
Masaaki Sapporo-san Good evening. Thank you very much. I recommend this Toyo Bijin because the taste does not deteriorate so much after opening the bottle. I also like scotch and sometimes drink it. It is fun to drink it with the creator in mind, isn't it?
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AAJI
This is the 18th type (including limited edition and collaboration. This is the 8th type after last year's renewal) of SENKOURI. Kumamoto has recently become cooler at night, so it is the first "sparkler" or "sweet and sour end-of-summer sake". Sentori's specialty Domaine . Sakura Yamadanishiki and Domaine. Sakura Omachi. The basic part of this sake is "SENKYO". The label on the back reads, "Is there anything left to do in the summer? The front label also says "End of summer".
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ジェイ&ノビィ
Hello AAJI😃. It's still hot everyday 🥵 but when Senkou's sparkler 🎇 comes out, I feel like summer is coming to an end 😌 I'm a little sad 😔.
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AAJI
Jay & Nobby, you are right. Evening and nighttime temperatures are getting much cooler in Kumamoto. I'm hoping to find some "autumnal" weather next time!
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AAJI
I had some "hegi soba" (buckwheat noodles) from Niigata Prefecture at home. Since it has been said since the Edo period (1603-1867) that Soba goes well with Sake, I thought I would give it a try. Unfortunately, there is no sake from Niigata Prefecture in the refrigerator. I wished I had a bottle of Abe, but there was still some Eiko Fuji, my favorite sake from the neighboring prefecture of Yamagata, left in the fridge, so I drank it. The pairing of the robust flavor of hegisoba with Eikoufuji was perfect for me. Eikoufuji would not have tasted like it did in the Edo period, but I'm sure it has been thought of with modern cuisine in mind. I also had an open bottle of Haneya, so I tried it. It was tasty, but it seemed to be a bit overpowered by the mentsuyu.
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ジェイ&ノビィ
Hello AAJI 😃 Soba and Sake 🍶 has been a combination since the Edo period 🤗. It's also good to have tempura or something here 😋.
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AAJI
Jay & Nobby, that's a good idea. Next time I will choose sake with tempura and natural salt.
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Masuizumi純米大吟醸 (熊本酵母)「UNO²」一段仕込
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AAJI
This sake was made by Mr. Uno (whom we do not know), a native of Kumamoto Prefecture who is currently training at Masuda Sake Brewery, using his hometown Kumamoto yeast. It has a citrus aroma and a rich, full flavor. It seems that only one to three tanks of this sake were made. The color of the sake is also very old, a bit different from other Manjusen sake. It has a lingering aftertaste. There is no "Manjusen" on the label, but the metal stopper (or is it a protective metal cap?) has "Manjusen" written on it. The metal stopper (protective metal cap?) says "Manjusen" on it.
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HaneyaSHINE 13度生原酒
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AAJI
It seems the results of the heated sake contest have been announced, so I'm having a strategy meeting by myself while drinking at Haneya. Almost all the sake in the fridge is "needs to be kept cold". Some of the major makers have been chosen. https://www.kansake.jp/
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Glorious Mt.Fuji純米吟醸 新 祥源 無濾過生原酒
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AAJI
Sake rice from Yamagata Prefecture, Dewanosato. Mild ginjo aroma spreads on the palate. There is a light acidity, and the fruity flavor is typical of Eiko Fuji. It is quite similar to Haneya SHINE.
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Tsuchidaはつしぼり ichi
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AAJI
The bottle was opened a month ago. There were many things I wanted to drink, so I had 1/3 left in the fridge. A colleague gave me a 45 cm Chinu, so I processed it and served it as sashimi. I also compared it with Nishinoseki Daiginjo-shu Long Aged, which was opened 2 months ago. The ichi remained the same with a strong melon-like aroma. I think it tastes better than it did right after the bottle was opened. Nishi no Seki has a more subdued flavor. There are many brands that deteriorate obviously if you don't drink it immediately after opening the bottle, but this one is good because you can enjoy it in this way.
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ma-ki-
Good evening, AAJI! I've never had a chance to drink old sake, so I'm very interested in it. I've never had old sake before, so I'm very curious 😋. I see you can handle fish: ⤴️ It's a great time to drink at home with fresh sashimi 🤗.
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AAJI
Good morning, ma-ki-san. Nishinoseki is one of the breweries that has been making old sake for a long time. I think old sake has a full-bodied, rich, scotch, aged shochu-like flavor (a little spicy and tangy).
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HaneyaSHINE 限定生原酒
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AAJI
Heavy rain in Kumamoto has gone, so we will enjoy it slowly today. When the bottle is opened, the aroma spreads. As the label says, it is limey and light. The lingering aftertaste is very refreshing. It is delicious. Compared to Kawanakajima Genmai Yamae-Nishiki Unfiltered Unrefined Nama-shu, Haneya seems a little sweeter. Kawanakajima Genmai felt fuller on the back palate. The comparison was also excellent. Strangely enough, is it just me, or does the aroma of the Kawanakajima Genmai taste like natto (fermented soybeans) after drinking the Haneya?
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Tamanohikari純米吟醸 GREEN 有機 雄町
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AAJI
My favorite Omachi is also 100% organic and affordable at 300ml. The taste is typical of Omachi. I also like the elegant hint of aroma. It is one of the sake with a lingering taste.
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Kawanakajima Genbu山恵錦 純米吟醸
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AAJI
The second bottle of Genmai. The first "Yamae Nishiki" is rich with a soft, delicious sweetness. I had it with horse mackerel and Chinu sashimi when my son came home for his summer vacation. I bought it at the same time as Haneya's summer sake, which I haven't had in a while, because I could buy it at the regular price if I bought the summer sake designated by the liquor store. I have high expectations for this one as well.
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AAJI
The first time I opened the bottle, I took it out of the refrigerator and compared it with a Mimuro Sugi Junmai Ginjo, which I had also opened. I do not feel the deterioration of the taste of both. The aroma of the Collage was still strong. Both are good because they have a good base. It is a preference which is better. I can not say which is better.
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Ubusuna2024 山田錦 五農醸
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AAJI
Manufactured February 2025 As usual, when opened, the stopper seems to fly away. It looks light and cloudy. It is made from (1) local rice from the Kikuchi River basin, (2) raw yeast yeast, no pesticides, (3) cultivated without pesticides, (4) cultivated without fertilizers, and (5) brewed in a wooden vat.  It has a light aroma and light flavor, but it also has a strong taste.
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