Norman

9.2

Brooklyn Kura Catskills — Junmai Dai Ginjo

Brewery: Brooklyn Kura, Brooklyn, New York
Classification: Junmai Dai Ginjo
Rice: 100% Yamada Nishiki
Yeast: Single modern yeast strain
Fermentation: Kept below 11°C
ABV: 16%
SMV: −1
Treatment: Nama chozo
Polishing: Not disclosed by the brewery

Brewer description: Brooklyn Kura says Catskills is its second Dai Ginjo. It uses 100% Yamada Nishiki and a single modern yeast, with fermentation kept below 11°C. The intended result is delicate and luxurious. The name Catskills refers to the source of the brewery’s water.

Tasted at Sake Day SF — 9/26/2026. Rating is limited since the same glass was reused throughout the tasting, making it difficult to get a truly clean tasting and accurate read on the aromas.

Surprisingly very good for a U.S. brewer. Not traditional, but very tasty and fun. I would buy it. — 5 hours ago

Jamie Lauder

9.1

Taiheizan Junmai Kimoto.
White nougat, ripe pear, almonds and dark Macintosh apples.
Crisp and vivid minerality with a bold firm finish. 15% ABV. Made with local spring water.
.
The brother to this sake is Junmai Kimoto Shirakami.
The same rice and yeasts are used but the water is trucked from Shirakami mountain range 60 kilometres north of the kura.
Fresh cut grass on the nose. Crisp apple, citrus, grassy and snappy with a round, clean finish. 17% ABV.
Amazing how a water source can greatly affect flavour profile. — 2 years ago

Michael Malpiedi

9.0

Rouge - not as cool as the blanc. Delicate, ethereal, mild, and gently sweet. Koji, raisin, cranberry, and toast. — 4 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

This is the limited release, dry hopped, junmai ginjo saké with 5 grams residual sugar. Made in Brooklyn.

A very faint blush and a tropical IPA nose this is an incredibly refreshing sake. Medium bodied with stone fruit and melon rind. Went great with salmon sashimi, chicken teriyaki, and stir fried vegetables. — 6 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.2

From same Aomori kura as Denshu. Similar profile / more polished. Rhinoceros auklet (uto) seems to be the state birdie of Aomori — 7 years ago

Amaryllis Knight

9.6

@Vespertine delicious. peach, clove, anise
Drank it with raw scallops and burnt onion — 7 years ago

with Chapman

Neal Krishna Devaraj

9.2

Smooth and floral with notes of honey. Celebrating our 4 year anniversary. — 8 years ago

Norman

9.1

Brooklyn Kura Lake Effect — Junmai Nigori

Brewery: Brooklyn Kura, Brooklyn, New York
Classification: Junmai Nigori
Rice: California Calrose
Polishing: 50%
ABV: 14%
Acidity: 2
Method: Traditional Junmai is fermented and pressed, then blended with amazake made from warmed rice, koji and water.

Brewer description: Brooklyn Kura describes Lake Effect as having a velvety, light texture with a gentle, nuanced sweetness.

Tasted at Sake Day SF — 9/26/2026. Rating is limited since the same glass was reused throughout the tasting, making it difficult to get a truly clean tasting and accurate read on the aromas.

Surprisingly good. Very good in fact for a U.S. brewer. Not traditional, but very tasty and fun. I would buy it. — 5 hours ago

Jamie Lauder

9.5

Tasted at Taiheizan kura in Akita, Tohoku, Japan with owners Shin and Eiko Kodama.
Incredibly perfumed with white flowers.
Yellow plums, ginger, apricot ripe pear with rich white stone peach.
Minerality, crisp, luscious and mouth feel for days.

— 2 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

Okunomatsu kura was founded in Fukushima in 1716 and is now led by its 19th president Joji Yusa. This sake won the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Gold medal award in 2018 beating out 1,639 other sake labels.
Lychee, orange blossom and white flowers on the nose.
Bright, silky and a bit viscous with honey dew melon, white chocolate and minerality.
Ya ya karakuchi describes a sake as a nice balance between acidity and sweetness. We had soba with duck, shiitake mushrooms and grilled leeks. — 3 years ago

Abe Glass

9.0

Fabulous! Local and wonderful. So pleased to know that this was born in our backyard! — 5 years ago

Muralee Murugesu

9.9

This junmaidaiginjo may well be the very best sake I have ever tried! Unbelievable! Comparable to some of the great whites from Burgundy. Delicate is the character. Floral notes (Jasmine, gardenia) with lychee on palate, great length. This top end sempuku is from Hiroshima is made with 65% polished rice. Superb. — 7 years ago

Andy Tam

9.2

Save Kumamoto Project. So delicious, sparkly, yeasty and sweet — 7 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

From Taiheizan kura in Katagami, Akita.
Owned by Shin and Eiko Kodama, they have been producing miso, soy sauce sake and shochu since 1890’s.
Made with local Akita Komachi sake rice and polished to 55 % Junmai Ginjo.
Kimoto method is used which relies on natural, ambient lactic acid bacteria rather than added lactic acid to start fermentation.
Bold with flavours of white pears, honey dew melon, dried apricots, tropical fruits and white chocolate.
— 5 months ago

Jonas Hartz

9.0

On the sweet side, but really good stuff! — 6 months ago

Jamie Lauder

8.9

Hakutsuru Kura in Kobe, Japan.
Lighter, medium bodied sake.
Bright green melon, white flowers and lemon grass.
Smooth acidity but not overwhelming..
Easy drinking Nihon shu with a clean and fresh finish.
If you wanted to introduce someone to sake..Nihon shu…this is a good choice.
— 3 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

Yoshi no gawa is the kura (brewery) in Niigata, Japan. They were founded in 1548. Yes, you read that right.
Gohyaku Mangoku rice is used. Milled to Honjozo sake….35% removed with 65% remaining. A small amount of brewers alcohol is added.
When chilled, it’s creamy with crisp green melon, minerals and white nougat.
It changes with a couple of degrees in temperature.
As it warms, more richer, earthy rounder mushroom flavours.
Snow, colder temperatures, beautiful water, experienced Toji and top quality rice are essential to produce award winning nihon shu.
Niigata excels in all categories. — 5 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

Kawatsuru Oseto Tokubetsu Junmai from Kagawa Prefecture. Female Toji (head brewer) at the kura.
Crane of Paradise. 55% milling wth a blend of Oseto and Yamadanishiki rice.
Tokubetsu means “special “ in Japanese.
Dry and bold with a creamy touch. Ripe Asian pear, dried persimmon, cinnamon and a bit of nougat chocolate on the finish.
We had it with sashimi of B.C. Spot Prawns and Hokkaido scallops.
Very enjoyable and well priced at $30 CDN
— 6 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.1

@Uemura. I think this kura change their style - new Denshu is clean/elegant with streak of juicy sanmi. — 7 years ago

Bonnie Chu

8.9

Blue door junmai nama genshu — 7 years ago