Norman

9.4

Katafune “Tobin” Daiginjo
• Brewery: Takeda Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. (Joetsu City, Niigata, Japan)
• Classification: Daiginjo (the highest polishing class under Junmai/Daiginjo styles)
• Rice Polishing Ratio: 45% (meaning 55% of each grain was milled away)
• Alcohol: 16–17%
• SMV (Sake Meter Value): +2.0 (mildly dry)
• Acidity: 1.3 (on the low side for sake)

The term “Tobin” refers to tobin-kakoi, a premium bottling method. After fermentation, the sake is bag-pressed and allowed to drip under gravity into 18-liter glass bottles called tobin. Only the free-run “nakadori” fraction—considered the cleanest and most balanced—goes into the final blend. 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. This was one of the best and I’m saying that with it being at the end of the night so the bar went up. Very nice. — a month ago

Shay A

9.5

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group. Poured alongside Mark’s 2012 Oakville Winegrowers mag.

En mag. I was curious to see how this showed upon opening, and it unsurprisingly needed a quick decant to blow off some funk. As a blind pour, it’s tough to get to Mourvèdre heavy in profile, but it absolutely is what makes older CdP so magical. Beautiful faint ruby in the glass. A bit leathery and maybe even a small hint of brett, but then it evolved to show potpourri, spiced red and black fruits and garrique. In the glass, the expected savory notes come out with smoked meat, gaminess, black pepper baked-rhubarb, little bit of truffle. Elegant. Good acidity. Delicious finish! — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

Very refreshing and easy to drink. — 3 years ago

with Matthew

S.S. Mandani

9.0

Got a nice natural quality. Light and subtle and cool that it comes from Keuka lake and treated in the manner, but falls a bit flat for me. The brewery itself, Big Alice Brewing, out in Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn is pretty awesome tho. Love havin a beer on the lawn right outside on a pretty day, a midday affair. This bottle is cool for its novelty, but wish for a bit more complexity. — 3 years ago

Norman

9.1

Name: 風の森 WEEKS 2025 (Kaze no Mori Weeks 2025)
• Rice: Aiyama (愛山) 100%
• Polish ratio: 60%
• ABV: 14%
• Sake type: Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu (純米 無濾過無加水生酒)
• Junmai = pure rice (no added alcohol)
• Muroka = unfiltered
• Nama = unpasteurized
• Genshu = undiluted (though note: 14% ABV suggests a lower-ferment genshu or partial dilution)
• Brew year (BY): 2025BY (brewed August 2025)
• Brewery: 油長酒造株式会社 (Yucho Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
• Location: Gose City, Nara Prefecture (奈良県御所市)
Ok brought this one back from Japan so it’s fresh and a limited release as noted above. It’s got some effervescence which I’m not a huge fan of but seeing in a lot of these fresh ones from Japan. Have not sat long enough to absorb back in. If you have not used ChatGPT with sake you should. It’s really good in answering questions. So this has the typical sake flavor, an effervescence but also a weird yogurt tang which evidently is on purpose since this is unpasteurized. The carbonation kills the creaminess you associate with sour cream and yogurt. From ChatGPT - That “yogurt tang but not creamy” description is dead on for fresh Aiyama-based nama. What’s happening chemically is a short-chain lactic ester (mainly ethyl lactate) blending with residual malic acid from the yeast, plus the carbonic lift. The effervescence doesn’t just tingle — it changes how your tongue perceives acidity, pushing that faint yogurt note forward while stripping away the creaminess you’d feel in a heavier sake. So instead of the rounded nama-zake lactic feel, you get something sharper — like unsweetened kefir water or sparkling Calpis.

That’s part of what Kaze no Mori aims for with their Weeks bottlings — letting you taste the micro-volatility of live sake mid-fermentation, before pasteurization smooths it out. It’s not a flaw; it’s an intentional snapshot of the fermentation in motion.

If you swirl it gently and let it sit 10–15 minutes, you’ll notice the carbonation dissipate and that tang retreat into the background, revealing more of Aiyama’s core character — ripe pear, steamed rice sweetness, and faint white flower. But if you like that “what is that?” moment — slightly wild, slightly sparkling, tang balanced by fruit — it’s best drunk exactly as you’re having it now. Cold (right out of the fridge, say 5–8°C) locks in the CO₂ and accentuates that “live” edge — the effervescence plus that lactic-malic twang that feels more like tangy minerality than cream. At that temp, Aiyama’s natural softness is suppressed, so what comes through is this precise, slightly electric sensation — like pear skin + Greek yogurt + soda water. If you let it rise toward 12–14°C, the CO₂ eases, sweetness unfolds, and the tang will start to blur into a gentler rice-fruit tone.

Because this bottle is both muroka (unfiltered) and nama (unpasteurized), it’s carrying a small live microflora load — you’re literally tasting that tension between residual yeast enzymes and trapped gas. It’s why the first sip is so vivid and almost curious — not quite sour, not quite sweet, but alive. — 13 days ago

Shay A

9.2

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group.

Always a treat to open a birth year wine. I had this last year and this bottle seemed to have more stuffing. It was less muddled/clay driven and more distinctly black fruit and spice heavy. Next to a ‘79 Montelena, it wasn’t as full-bodied, but it certainly had more tannin. The tannic finish was quite pronounced and bolstered throughout the lunch. Mid-palate was herbal and black currant with faint tart red fruit and tobacco. Fun to drink. — 3 years ago

Norman

9.2

San Francisco Brewing Company Fog City Karl - picked up at Costco. Hazy IPA — a year ago

Mark S.

9.0

Oak, cherry, raspberry aroma and taste. At initial, felt acidic. Mid body with elegancy. After well-decanting, turned to be gentle. Balanced sweetness and spiciness. Vanilla. Good paring with Japanese Sukiyaki (beef cooked by soy sauce and sugar). Clos Du Val Zinfandel North Coast, winter bottle city edition 19 @8100, Happy wine JH, 231210-240103 — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.4

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group.

Always a treat to enjoy well-made 2001 vintage Sauternes. This was my first experience with Rieussec’s 2001. Deeply golden/amber in the glass. Aromatics fill the room with apricot preserves, honeyed lemons, orange marmalade, little bit of caramel. Bordering on bombastic on the palate, it stops just short of cloying. Commanding and opulent. Honeyed stone fruits, truffle honeycomb, roasted cashews. Excellent acidity. Obviously young, I’d love to revisit in 10-15yrs. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.2

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group. The starter before Mark’s 1979 Schramsberg mag and 1980 Montelena mag.

Tasty, but I found this different than the 2014 (still haven’t popped the 2015). Salmon color in the glass with a dash of pink. Faint strawberry marscapone, red berry fruit aromatically. Layers of strawberries and a distinct mineral and rose note, but this seemed lighter and less fruit forward than the 2014. Lovely finish. I felt the 2014 had loads of time ahead of it when I had it, but for me, this seemed either in an odd spot or at a point where it’s time to enjoy. I’d wager it’s more of the former. — 3 years ago