True Sake

Which one is not like the others? Say hello to Nigori no Jozen Junmai Ginjo. 17.5% and SMV: +4 We only have these polar babies for a short time! Did you know that polar bears actually have black skin and their fur is not white! Huh? It’s actually transparent with a hallow core that reflects light! So start reflecting you own sake light with these limited released brews that take a walk on the white side!

#tbt (true story via email) Hello!! Finally after one and a half years I found your business card amongst papers. We were the Australian family who met you when your camera battery died at the Old Faithful in Yellowstone..and we offered to take photos for you with your sake bottle. Let me know if you’d like larger versions of the photos! Sorry it has taken so long.... I hope all is well Cathy . #truestory #junmaidaiginjo #ishikawa #oldfaithful #yellowstone

Shhhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell the True Sake team members! Don’t even whisper these names. I want tonight’s employee party at an Italian restaurant to be somewhat of a surprise! Oh wait! This is social media....

The Takachiyo 59 Chapters are back! Chap 1 is made with 100% Ipponjime. Chap 2 is 100% Aiyama, and Chap 3 is Aimachi (blend of Aiyama & Omachi). All are Muroka Nama Junmai Ginjo using yeast 1801! Super sexy sake that are perfect for rice flavor exploration! Read more in the March True Sake Newsletter which will go out very soon! #sake #niigata #takachiyo #nama #chapters #junmaiginjo #minamiuonuma

...... to the weekend!

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink... you can lead a newbie to Hanahato Kijoshu but you can’t make them think! Did a 6 course pairing for 50 last night and usually folks love chocolate paired with this 8 year-old aged amazing dessert sake. But look at the leftover glasses with lonely Gorgeous Bird. From Hiroshima Prefecture with an SMV of -44 and an acidity of 3.5 this amazing brew has won multiple trophies at the International Wine Challenge including the Grand Champion’s Prize. I liked the pairing and that’s all that counts!

Rain Rain Go Away - Come Again Another Day! So we can enjoy our Temahima Junmai Daiginjo from Rokkasen Shuzo in Yamagata Prefecture. The same Prefecture that has GI (Geographical Indication) Go GI Yamagata! Go Temahima! Go Away ! #killerjunmaidaiginjo #fruityfunfabulous

Don’t be shellfish ... Share your sake this weekend!

Where were you 20 years ago? Wow! It’s been two decades with this superb Sparkling Sake from Ichinokura! I love this brew and I’m proud to have played a small part in how it came to the US. When I first opened 16 years ago I had an empty bottle on display and referred to it as the best sparkling sake ever! Is it exported? Nope! Each time I went to Japan I’d buy three or four bottles to bring home! This was difficult as Suzune was very tightly allocated! They didn’t make a l...ot each season, so most shops wouldn’t sell more than two bottles to a customer. For years I hounded my friends who imported for Ichinokura (Miyagi Prefecture) asking please please please! And for years the answer was No! Why? They stated the bottle didn’t stay fresh long enough for export! Oh Really!!! This is when I produced a three year vertical tasting for the importer (my buddy) of bottles that I had been collecting and saving and aging! So we sat in the back of the shop and tasted three years worth of Suzune! And they were amazing ... very little change at all! So Kazu called Ichinokura and placed an order for a sample for inspection and the rest is bubbly history! Woot! Pound for pound I still feel it is the best Sparkling brew on the market! Give it a try ... and of course we have it in stock @ichinokura_suzuki

So this is a 12-pack order that came in and we filled! I asked Mei how she arranges the layout for each 3 bottle tray? She said she goes from the top of the order down placing the bottles in from the bottom. My brain doesn’t work that way ... so I found myself putting the brews in groups of bottles that I would like to drink together. Weird. I also sometimes play with label colors so when a customer opens the box they see a coordinated offering. There are so many combinations and so little time! #sakegeeks #sakefreaks #sakeart

Weekends are made for Wakatake! Been selling this brew for almost 20 years and still enjoy it when folks come in and ask for Waka-sumpin, Walky Walky, Walkie-Talkie, Waky Devil Thing, Demon Sake. It never gets old! And yes this Junmai Daiginjo from Shizuoka Prefecture is still a top seller! It’s a comfort brew, which makes it perfect for the weekends! Be your own Demon Slayer! #wakatakeonikoroshi #junmaidaiginjo #sake #shizuoka #demonslayer #drunkswordplay

I can’t stop Which one of these Koi used to be a sake drinker in another life? #hatsukame

Sometimes heaven shoots magical moments to a sake guy, which are hopefully harbingers of things to come. Today heaven said take this beautiful weather in Shizuoka Prefecture. Then she said take this ridiculously amazing ryokan on a river in Izu called Arai. But wait she wasn’t done! Heaven said Beau-san you need to try this Nama Omachi from Doi Shuzo! Thank you heaven! Thank you Yaichi Doi-san for making this incredible Nihonshu that you MUST export to the US, and Domo for your killer tour of your beautiful kura. And thank you @johngauntner for the recommendation and the hook-up. And thank you @keikotabeb for being big in smiles and on-point with my 1,000,000 questions. Thank you Sake Heaven for allowing me to be in this game. #smilingfromeartoear #roomontheriver #omachinama #heavenlovessake