Helloooo, Nomidachi!

Your periodic reminder that, for the moment, we are still doing our retail only takeout/curbside pickup operations (but we hope to have some good news regarding a "zoomish" anniversary party -- our 13th, wouldn't you know it -- and online sales and deliveries soon and very soon!).

Our current hours of operation are:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

We hope you're doing well and taking care of yourselves and your loved ones as best you can.

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko


Featured Sake Selections
Nothing crazy here, just sake we think are interesting and drinking particularly delicious these days.


Yamato Tamba Junmai Daiginjo (Hyogo)                   
Brand new to Washington and exclusive to our new Bellevue-based importer/distributor! Rich gold coloring, with a complex variety of flavors appearing on the palate, including tart, dry, astringent, and mineral elements. The subtle, seductive umami reinforces the elegance of this brew (dig the significant weight to the gorgeous bottle, too!). This sake was developed by Nishiyama Shuzojo’s American kurabito, Kelley Kaminsky, and is the first new brand released by this brewery in 105 years!
$55/720 ml bottle


Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold Daiginjo (Hiroshima)                                  Amber tint, with a rich nose of caramel and honey. Clean, smooth, luxurious mouthfeel/texture. A dairy element to the sweetness/richness brings to mind toffee. The “Obama saké” with the festive and auspicious gold flakes that the president enjoyed at Jiro’s sushi place in Tokyo was the first daiginjo grade sake made available for purchase by the general public.
$50/720 ml bottle










Dassai “Otter Festival: 45” Junmai Daiginjo (Yamaguchi)                                    
Golden coloring, with jasmine, muscat grape, and sea salt fragrances.  Soft and light, with a surprisingly full mouthfeel.  The “45” in the name refers to the 45% milling rate of the rice used to brew this saké. This is a fairly recent release to the U.S., and a bit lighter with less licorice/anise notes than the previous much loved and heralded “50” version. $95/1.8L bottle; $48/720 ml bottle


Kamoizumi Shusen “Three Dots” Junmai Ginjo (Hiroshima)                                            
Dark gold coloring with earthy aromas of wet leaves, apples, and brown sugar.  Light, very soft texture.  Dry impression on the palate, despite the sweeter notes in the aroma.  Lingering, tangy, dry finish.  Heat it up just a touch, the umami comes forward, and the whole game changes. $50/900 ml bottle

(Note: On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the importer of this sake is conducting a virtual brewery tour and tasting featuring Kamoizumi Brewing Co. We will have at least 2 of the featured sake, including Shusen, available for purchase between now and then. For details and registration information, please go here.)


Kotsuzumi Hanafubuki “Shower of Blossoms” Junmai Ginjo (Hyogo)
Brand new to Washington! Pronounced dandelion gold tint. Soft, inviting mouthfeel, showing flavors of young tart fruit and apple peel on the palate, leading to the dry, lingering finish. All of Nishiyama Shuzojo’s gorgeous labels were designed by celebrated Japanese artist, Hirosuke Watanuki.  $45/720 ml bottle





Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai
(Iwate)                                   
Grains, earth, and mushroom aromas.  Quiet impact.  A touch sweet, but with a dry, citrusy finish.  Mild acidity and friendly presence.  Champion Sake of the 2017 International Wine Challenge. It's Kosher, too!  
$45/720 ml bottle





Kawatsuru Junmai (Kagawa)                              Light gold coloring, with tropical fruit (mango), mint, and mildly herbal notes in the nose. Soft texture on the palate, beginning on the savory, umami end of the spectrum, but progressing toward a dry finish. Satisfying and interesting, taking the drinker on a bit of a journey.  $42/720 ml bottle


 

Helloooo, Nomidachi!

This is just a quick note to let you know we're still here, and still doing what we do. For the moment, still doing our retail only takeout/curbside pickup operations. To remind you what that means, our hours of business are:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

We've got some fun new sake on offer this week, with more to come in the near future. Actually, it's kind of an embarrassment of riches at the moment, so come on down and let us share.

We hope you're well and coping appropriately (what does that even mean?) and looking out for one another. WE MISS YOU!!

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko


Featured Sake Selections
We've added some brand-new-to-Washington brews to some of the stellar lineup we featured last week. If you haven't had a chance to try them yet, we're pleased to introduce them to you, and we hope that in the process, maybe you'll discover a new personal favorite.


Yamato Tamba Junmai Daiginjo (Hyogo)                   
Brand new to Washington and exclusive to our new Bellevue-based importer/distributor! Rich gold coloring, with a complex variety of flavors appearing on the palate, including tart, dry, astringent, and mineral elements. The subtle, seductive umami reinforces the elegance of this brew (dig the significant weight to the gorgeous bottle, too!). This sake was developed by Nishiyama Shuzojo’s American kurabito, Kelley Kaminsky, and is the first new brand released by this brewery in 105 years!
$55/720 ml bottle


Kotsuzumi Hanafubuki “Shower of Blossoms” Junmai Ginjo (Hyogo)
Brand new to Washington! Pronounced dandelion gold tint. Soft, inviting mouthfeel, showing flavors of young tart fruit and apple peel on the palate, leading to the dry, lingering finish. All of Nishiyama Shuzojo’s gorgeous labels were designed by celebrated Japanese artist, Hirosuke Watanuki.  $45/720 ml bottle






Kuroushi “Black Bull” Junmai Ginjo (Wakayama)                                                            
Dark, rich gold coloring. Vaguely sweet, floral aromas (Jazzy says azuki). Soft and savory.  A hearty, substantive saké “with meat on its bones.” Tending toward sweet, but nicely balanced with a dry-ish finish.  $45/720 ml bottle







Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai
(Iwate)                                   
Grains, earth, and mushroom aromas.  Quiet impact.  A touch sweet, but with a dry, citrusy finish.  Mild acidity and friendly presence.  Champion Sake of the 2017 International Wine Challenge. It's Kosher, too!  
$45/720 ml bottle




Kawatsuru Junmai (Kagawa)                              Light gold coloring, with tropical fruit (mango), mint, and mildly herbal notes in the nose. Soft texture on the palate, beginning on the savory, umami end of the spectrum, but progressing toward a dry finish. Satisfying and interesting, taking the drinker on a bit of a journey.  $42/720 ml bottle




Taisetsu “The Garden of the Divine” Junmai Ginjo (Hokkaido)                                        
Soft, creamy texture balanced with solid acidity.  Mild, tingling spice in the finish. Enjoyable at a wide variety of temperatures, but especially quenching served well chilled in the hot summer weather.
$70/1.8L bottle; $38/720 ml bottle


"One Cups." In Cans?!
Still plenty fun and plenty available

"One Cup" sake in Japan are single serving (usually 180-200 ml) glass or aluminum containers with pull tab tops and often come with an additional plastic lid so you can close it back up if you're not going to throw it all down at once. 

Time was, you could only find lower grades of sake in these small sizes and one story floating about is that the size was developed as a quick fix "hair of the dog" hangover ointment for those who tied one on the night before to grab out of a vending machine and slam before going in to work.

Lucky us: now you can find delicious and interesting premium sake in the handy, discreetly portable "one cup" volume, and it's not just for futskayoi (literally, "two days drunk") anymore. We are featuring a few this week (with special 10% off 6-pack pricing!), including:


Kagatobi Gokkan Junmai (Ishikawa)                                        
Brand new to Washington! According to the importer, “The gentle rice flavor which would fill your mouth then can be served by cold or hot and paired well with a wide range of cuisine.” We think we know what they mean, but we’ll get back to you after we spend some “quality time” with this brew.  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)

 


Kibo “Hope” Junmai (Iwate)                                                                                           
Soft, fairly full mouthfeel, with a mild apple sweetness and a minerality expressive of the quality of the sake’s water source.  Dryish, lingering finish.  Suisen Brewery was devastated in the 2011 tsunami, but managed to rebuild and brew the following season, and this was the first sake they produced for export.  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)


 
Bushido “Way of the Warrior” Ginjo Genshu (Kyoto)            Soft, full texture.  Mildly tart, but tending toward sweet (more than the +6.5 SMV indicates), and dry in the finish.  The importer says, tart raspberry, Asian pear, watermelon rind, and a hint of white flowers.  What say you?  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)


 

Greetings, Nomidachi!

Here's a quick note highlighting some of the delightful drinkers we're promoting this week.

As we mentioned in last week's rather somber toned missive ('sorry about that) we are back to our retail only takeout/curbside pickup operations. As such, our hours of business are:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

We miss you, and hope you're well. Even though we can't do it over a glass of the good stuff, if you're in the area and want to stop by to catch up or chat about sake, music, movies, etc., please do. We'll be masked, but we think we're recognizable.

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 

Featured Sake Selections
I think this is one of the most interesting, delicious lineups we've had in a while, and it's a mix of "something old, something new." Sure, we have nothing but around 200 high-quality sake on the shelves, but this week's grouping highlights some real standouts.


Seiden Omachi "50" Junmai Daiginjo (Akita)
Brand new to Saké Nomi! Mellow greenish gold tint with refreshing, clean notes of cucumber, mint, mild melon, and even bubble gum in the nose. Tending toward sweet, with hints of mint and the tartness of young fruit, with a comfortable, soft, and refined mouthfeel. Classy. 
$50/720 ml bottle



Kuroushi “Black Bull” Junmai Ginjo (Wakayama)                                                            
Dark, rich gold coloring. Vaguely sweet, floral aromas (Jazzy says azuki). Soft and savory.  A hearty, substantive saké “with meat on its bones.” Tending toward sweet, but nicely balanced with a dry-ish finish.  $45/720 ml bottle







Sohomare "Indigo" Junmai Ginjo (Tochigi)
Brand new to Saké Nomi! Pronounced golden hue, with a faintly earthy and herbal nose. Light, soft mouthfeel. Vaguely citrus and melony on the palate and just a touch tart around the edges. Probably "like butter" when warmed. This one is classy, elegant, and understated, and probably one of our recent faves. Produced at a brewery that specializes in the laborious, painstaking kimoto method of brewing. $45/720 ml bottle 



Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai
(Iwate)                                   
Grains, earth, and mushroom aromas.  Quiet impact.  A touch sweet, but with a dry, citrusy finish.  Mild acidity and friendly presence.  Champion Sake of the 2017 International Wine Challenge. It's Kosher, too!  
$45/720 ml bottle






Kawatsuru Junmai (Kagawa)                              Light gold coloring, with tropical fruit (mango), mint, and mildly herbal notes in the nose. Soft texture on the palate, beginning on the savory, umami end of the spectrum, but progressing toward a dry finish. Satisfying and interesting, taking the drinker on a bit of a journey.  $42/720 ml bottle




Kamoizumi "Summer Snow" Nama Nigori Ginjo (Hiroshima)                    Sweet fruit notes of white peach and pumpkin in the nose.  Rich flavor with hints of orange. Slightly chalky texture, yet super soft mouthfeel. Good balance of sweet and acidic flavor elements. A rare nama (unpasteurized) nigori ("cloudy"), it's kind of "hearty" -- a real sake drinker's nigori.
$36/500 ml bottle

 

Hi There, Nomidachi!

How are you doing?

Just a reminder that we are temporarily (we hope!) back to our retail only takeout/curbside pickup operations. As such, our hours of business are:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

Please keep hanging in there, masking up, washing your hands, and taking excellent care of one another!

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 

"One Cups." In Cans?!
"One Cup" sake in Japan are single serving (usually 180-200 ml) glass or aluminum containers with pull tab tops and often come with an additional plastic lid so you can close it back up if you're not going to throw it all down at once. 

Time was, you could only find lower grades of sake in these small sizes and one story floating about is that the size was developed as a quick fix "hair of the dog" hangover ointment for those who tied one on the night before to grab out of a vending machine and slam before going in to work.

Lucky us: now you can find delicious and interesting premium sake in the handy, discreetly portable "one cup" volume, and it's not just for futskayoi (literally, "two days drunk") anymore. We are featuring a few this week (with special 10% off 6-pack pricing!), including:


Kagatobi Gokkan Junmai (Ishikawa)                                        
Brand new to Washington! According to the importer, “The gentle rice flavor which would fill your mouth then can be served by cold or hot and paired well with a wide range of cuisine.” We think we know what they mean, but we’ll get back to you after we spend some “quality time” with this brew.  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)

 
Kibo “Hope” Junmai (Iwate)                                                                                           
Soft, fairly full mouthfeel, with a mild apple sweetness and a minerality expressive of the quality of the sake’s water source.  Dryish, lingering finish.  Suisen Brewery was devastated in the 2011 tsunami, but managed to rebuild and brew the following season, and this was the first sake they produced for export.  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)


 
Bushido “Way of the Warrior” Ginjo Genshu (Kyoto)            Soft, full texture.  Mildly tart, but tending toward sweet (more than the +6.5 SMV indicates), and dry in the finish.  The importer says, tart raspberry, Asian pear, watermelon rind, and a hint of white flowers.  What say you?  $10/180 ml can (10% "6-pack" discount available!)





Other Featured Sake Selections
Due to popular demand (we very quickly sold out of some stuff, and we're afraid not enough of you had a chance to try them), we're continuing to feature some of the unique and delicious brews from last week, with a couple tasty (and discounted!) additions, too.


Chikurin “Otoro”  Muroka Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Okayama)                    
Otoro is a junmai daiginjo disguised as a junmai ginjo, in as much as it’s made with “estate grown” (by the brewer) Yamada Nishiki rice milled to 50%. It has a greenish gold tint (it is also muroka, or non-charcoal filtered), and a wonderfully complex nose showing raisin, honey, cinnamon, and plum. It has some spicy and peppery elements on the palate and a champagne-like semi-dryness (making it amazing with oysters on the half shell!), which ends in a subtle sour note and some astringency in the finish. Special “seasonal closeout pricing.”  $50/720 ml bottle (was $70!!)



Seiden Omachi "50" Junmai Daiginjo (Akita)
Brand new to Saké Nomi! Mellow greenish gold tint with refreshing, clean notes of cucumber, mint, mild melon, and even bubble gum in the nose. Tending toward sweet, with hints of mint and the tartness of young fruit, with a comfortable, soft, and refined mouthfeel. Classy. 
$50/720 ml bottle



Kuroushi “Black Bull” Junmai Ginjo (Wakayama)                                                            
Dark, rich gold coloring. Vaguely sweet, floral aromas (Jazzy says azuki). Soft and savory.  A hearty, substantive saké “with meat on its bones.” Tending toward sweet, but nicely balanced with a dry-ish finish.  $45/720 ml bottle







Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai
(Iwate)                                   
Grains, earth, and mushroom aromas.  Quiet impact.  A touch sweet, but with a dry, citrusy finish.  Mild acidity and friendly presence.  Champion Sake of the 2017 International Wine Challenge. It's Kosher, too!  
$45/720 ml bottle






Kawatsuru Junmai (Kagawa)                              Light gold coloring, with tropical fruit (mango), mint, and mildly herbal notes in the nose. Soft texture on the palate, beginning on the savory, umami end of the spectrum, but progressing toward a dry finish. Satisfying and interesting, taking the drinker on a bit of a journey.  $42/720 ml bottle





Kaze no Mori “Wind of the Woods” Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu (Nara)       
Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and undiluted (17% ABV), the brewery's unique bottling process allows the sake to retain an uncommon liveliness and effervescence upon opening.  The flavors transform on the palate in intriguing and savory ways the more time you spend enjoying your glass.  $34/720 ml bottle