Norman

9.4

Aramasa (新政) Colors "Viridian" (天鵞絨)

Brewery: Aramasa Shuzo, Akita City, Akita, Japan
Classification: Junmai, Kimoto, Genshu (restaurant listed as Junmai Daiginjo)
Brewing: Kimoto starter, fermented in wooden vat (kioke #43)
Rice: Misato Nishiki, 100% (2025 harvest, Akita grown)
Polishing: Koji 55% / Kake 55%
Yeast: Kyokai No. 6
ABV: 13% (undiluted)
Bottle: 720ml
Made 2026.02, shipped 2026.05

Part of Aramasa's Colors series. Viridian, "velvet" in Japanese, is the fullest-bodied of the Colors. The brewery's lot note says this season's bottling runs higher in amino acids than usual, putting mellowness up front, with Shine Muscat and blood orange aromas.

Tasted at Sushi Ai, Redwood City, 10/23/2026. Effervescent, fresh and airy, with a light carbonic bitterness from the bubbles. Slightly sweeter and heavier on the palate than the Cosmos. The fan favorite at the table.

— 15 days ago

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

8.9

Nisiki type:basic unpasteurized/ Hara shuzo Co.Ltd./ Niigata prefecture, Japan/ Evolved Four-Stage Fermentation Process of Sake Yeast Starter/ light fizz and a little cloudy, sweet fresh note of ripen apples, white peaches, persimmon, bubble gum and cider with hints of “Dango(Japanese sweet dessert, koji mold and nuances of sulfate and cheese. Attack of soft sweetness, rich umami, crispy acidity. Then sweetness be lightened, bitterness came out, umami and bitterness mixed smoothly. — 8 months ago

Norman

9.0

Sake World 2024 Had to judge given it’s the same glass throughout the tasting. This did not stand out. I believed this is polished down to 30%. I would give it a shot outside of this environment. It’s hard for these light ones to get a fair shot in a reused glass. — 2 years ago

Matt Shirley

9.1

Dry and bold with just a hint of floral and fruit. Great in the mouth, will drink again. — 6 years ago

with Amelia

Hiroyuki Hikichi

9.0

Fruity and slightly hoppy sake with sashimi. — 7 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Notes of soy sauce, mushrooms and caramel — 8 years ago

Yuri

8.9

With Ichiro-sensei!!! — 9 years ago

Norman

9.1

Stella (すてら) Premium Drip Muroka Genshu Yamada

Brewery: Inaba Shuzo, Tsukuba area, Ibaraki, Japan
Classification: Junmai Daiginjo
Style: Shizuku (雫酒, bag-dripped, no pressing), Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Yamada Nishiki 100%
Polishing: 40%
ABV: 16%
Bottle: 720ml
Bottled: 2024.5
Brewery-limited (蔵元限定)
Importer: Mutual Trading Co. (El Monte, CA)

A micro-brewery at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba, run by Nobuko Inaba, doing every step by hand. The Premium uses only the first free-run drops from the hanging bags, bottled unfiltered, undiluted and unpasteurized. Expect pear, muscat and floral notes on a soft, round palate.

Tasted at Sushi Kinsen, Redwood City, 10/24/2026. Good. Would have gone with this if I hadn't tried the others ;)
— 14 days ago

Norman

9.1

Ohyama Tokubetsu Junmai Nama – Summer Release

Brewery: Kato Kahachiro Shuzo, Yamagata
Type: Tokubetsu Junmai Nama
Rice: Dewa no Sato
Polishing: 60%
Yeast: Yamagata NF-KA + Kyokai 1801
ABV: 15%
SMV: ±0 to +1
Acidity: 1.45–1.55
Amino Acid: 1.1–1.2
Pasteurization: None (Nama)
Release: Summer seasonal

Lightly sweet with gentle umami and fresh acidity. Very light, almost water-like weight on the palate. Clean and refreshing rather than mouth-filling. Decent persistence on the finish, although the individual flavors are subtle and hard to distinguish. Finishes tight and clean. Balanced and very easy to drink. I like it. Paid $57 but it costs $13 in Japan. 😳 — 2 months ago

Yuri

9.0

Proud of Iso-sensei🥰 — 4 years ago

with cocoro and Takeo

Diane Dubansky Haase

9.4

Magical sake with our buddy Mark. 💙 — 5 years ago

with Mark

Turd Ferguson

9.1

Good stuff. Rich & smooth. — 7 years ago

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

9.0

Aramasa / Aramasa shuzou/ Akita prefecture/ rice species: Kairyo-shinko/ rice polish ratio:30%/ 2017 Tohoku region Sake Contest Highest grate awards Junmai Daiginjo — 8 years ago

Norman

9.4

Ohmine 3 Grain Aiyama — 94/100

Brewery: Ohmine Shuzo (大嶺酒造), Mine, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Classification: Junmai Daiginjo specification
Rice: Aiyama (愛山)
Rice polishing: 50%
ABV: 15%
SMV: Not published
Acidity: Not published
Water: Benten spring water, Akiyoshidai limestone plateau
Bottle: 720 ml
Importer: Sake Suki, Bridgeport, Pennsylvania
Purchase: True Sake, $68
Bottling date: Unknown

Ohmine reopened in 2010 after a 50-year hiatus. Its soft spring water and minimalist brewing approach produce expressive, fruit-forward sake. Aiyama is prized for its ability to produce rich, rounded textures and pronounced fruit character.

My tasting notes: I may have found another rice varietal I really like besides Yamada Nishiki. Not as crisp or sharply delineated, but round, smooth and lush. Sweet with a distinct honeydew melon note. Very light effervescence with a subtle carbonic bitterness that adds some balance. Consistent with my previous tasting. Excellent sake, though probably better before dinner than with delicate sushi. 94 points. — 12 days ago

Norman

9.0

This was all part of our Sake Day 2025 experience. We only tasted 60ish sakes out of an estimated 450, so a small fraction of what was available. While I attempted to rinse the glass with water and stay hydrated it’s difficult to fairly rate in this environment and I use it solely as a time to try a wide variety and interact with the brands. — a year ago

Lana V

9.2

Rintaro tasting aug 2023 — 3 years ago

Jason Li

9.3

sweet and attractive — 4 years ago

Tony Byrd

9.3

Labeled as Junmai Ginjo, but label indicates polished rate of rice at 50%. This is more in line with a  Junmai Daiginjo. Either way, this is best served chillled, but not cold. It can be served slightly warm, but the delicate fruity flavor will be degraded.  — 6 years ago

Hiroyuki Hikichi

9.1

Almost recovered from a disease! Moderately fruity and really rich Houhai — 8 years ago

Kei Iwashita

9.6

酸味高い、おいしいお酒 — 8 years ago