#87 - Kikusui Junmai Daiginjo sake

Good stuff!

#88 - Kizakura Kyo-No-Tokuri Junmai Gold

With the gold flakes!

#89 - Sakari Junmai Ginjo

Iirc, I got this for $20. If so, this was a steal! Just gotta remember where I got it from.

#90 - Dassai 45

A few (small) cups at lunch yesterday.

#91 - Tokubetsu Junmai "Yamadanishiki"

#92 - Kikusui Junmai Daiginjo

#93 - Islander Sake Brewery California Calrose Junmai Ginjo

Local brewery. Not bad but there is a slight woodie aftertaste. Interested in trying their other expressions.

#94 - Void Sake Company - He Who Slumbers

This is a Junmai aged in Eagle Rare bourbon barrels. It had a really nice woody/slightly smoky taste to it.

#95 - Dassai 39

Really smooth. Abunai.

Tonight we’re celebrating our son’s birthday so two of his favorites: Korean food and pizza. 🍕 Go figgah.

#96 - Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo “Onikoroshi”

Verbiage on the box:

“Flavorful type. This beautiful sake is round and alluring, with the texture of raw silk. Well-balanced mild sake has a slight sweetness stemming from its elegant aroma and moderate dryness. This sake compliments a wide range of food, including spicy food.”

Bought this yesterday from one of my favorite adult beverage shpos. We’re still on the hunt for “Silk” but haven’t seen it in a few years. Wifey really liked it but I thought it had too much bite for a $50 bottle. Nonetheless, it was pretty good.

#97 - Wakatake Junmai Daiginjo “Onikoroshi”

Round 2. The bite from the first time seems to have totally disappeared. Wife agreed. Don’t think this bottle is gonna last too long.

#98 - Dassai 23

Father’s Day bottle. Saw it on sale last week so jokingly asked my wife to get this for me for my birthday / Father’s Day and she said yes. Ultimately got our kids to buy it. Had a few cups. Really, really smooth.

#99 - Dassai 23

Working on the 2nd half of the big bottle. This stuff is so smooth! A tad on the expen$ive side so once we finish this one, might be awhile before we get another one.

#100 - Kubota Senjyu Junmai Ginjo

Smooth with a slight backend bite.

What sort of things do you look for when you pick a sake? I feel like I just pick the ones with cool looking bottles or that say it won awards on the label because idk what I’m looking for.

If available on the label, I’ll look for the rice polishing ratio. The lower the number, the more polished the rice is. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gonna be good but from my experience it has been. As we’ve learned, the more polished the rice, the lighter the drink. I also look at the description (…again, if available on the label…). Wife prefers light and fruity so iffin’ we find one, we’ll try it. With that being said, we’re far from experts but given our preferences, typically buy, at the very least, Daiginjo but will splurge for a Junmai Daiginjo.

The Dassai 23 that we bought in June, is probably the best we’ve ever had but the red & black Amabuki, (…sold only at the brewery…) is, at the very least, just a tic behind. Got no qualms with buying award-winning bottles, we do the same thing!

At home we’ll usually only have a couple of cups before dinner but oddly enough, when we’re at a sushi bar, we’ll drink throughout most of the time we’re eating. Oh, and unless it’s a dark and stormy night, we prefer cold sake. Heated / Warmed sake is almost always lower quality but does the job in warming us up.

#101 - Kubota Senjyu Junmai Ginjo

Finally finished the rest of the bottle. Three cups each for my wife and I. Sneaky buzz. Would definitely recommend.

Conan, do you pair Sake with cigars or food?

IMHO, sake is too delicate to pair with a cigar; however, with certain foods, specifically seafood (…Bucky, you can stop reading 😝 …), it is absolutely perfect. From personal experience, sake doesn’t necessarily go too well with heavier tomato-based dishes, e.g., spaghetti, lasagna, pizza. I think the easiest way to think of sake and food is to equate it with white wine. Of course ymmv.

I’ve only had it solo, no food or cigar