New Store Arrivals – Tsukinokatsura, Morishima, Dassai Blue, and Nabeshima
Tsukinokatsura Yanagi "Willow Tree” 2025
From Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +2 Acidity: 1.5
The nose on this fan favorite brew from Kyoto is a classic collection of Asian pear, blueberry, honeydew, pineapple, grape, lychee, red bean, kiwi, fresh grass, violet, vanilla bean, and sugar cane aromas. How would you like to taste “Kyoto-Style” personified? Made with famously soft Kyoto water, this brew is soft, smooth, fleshy, slippery, water-like, round, gentle, silky, with a medium body, and quick finish. If you like balance in your brew, this is all that and more with a gentle softness that reminds you, “Kyoto is in the house!” Look for apple pear, pineapple, blueberry, mineral water, almond, mochi, sweet rice, oatmeal, cream, pistachio, and sugar cane flavors that are sneakily complex, with a touch of astringency. This brewery has a new importer and we are glad that the “Willow Tree” is back, and at that price-point? Wow! WORD: Kyoto WINE: Soft Reds/Smooth Whites BEER: Smooth Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, French fare, creamy sauces, pasta, cured meats, seafood salads, crab, lobster rolls, and grilled white fish.
Morishima Yamada Nishiki "Modern Classic"
From Ibaraki Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +2 Acidity: 1.8
The nose on this new world Junmai Ginjo is a slick collection of grapefruit, pear, stone fruit, white strawberry, green apple, orange sherbet, mineral water, lemon cake, milk candy, Skittles, and Pixy Stix aromas. Slippery, silky, soft, slightly effervescent, bright, light, zesty, and off-dry, this sake is a wine-drinker's brew that has a plump acidity and a little bit of astringency. Look for lemon-lime, grapefruit, white pepper, lemon peel, mineral water, nectarine, Granny Smith, butter cream, and angel food cake flavors that are lifted on a bright and semi-tingly flow. Made for “new world” aka wine drinkers using a white wine glass. WORD: Bright WINE: Zesty Reds/Expressive Whites BEER: Zesty Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, yakitori, grilled meats & fowl, shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, white fish carpaccio, grilled veggies, and white cream pastas.
From Hyde Park, New York. Junmai Daiginjo Nigori. SMV: N/A Acidity: N/A
The nose on this New York version of the coarsely filtered cloudy sake is a fun gathering of cream soda, lemon curd, whipped cream, condensed milk, cream cheese, mozzarella, oatmeal, honey, melon, and sake kasu aromas. In a word, this Nigori is a dryer version of the sake made in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a little more elegance and complexity. Smooth, off-dry, refreshing, creamy-lite, spritzy, slippery, bright, fresh, and water-like. Look for Clementine, sake kasu, lime, steamed rice, mochi, bamboo, sparkling water, Asian pear, powdered sugar, sweet corn, and cherry flavors that work best in a wine glass to capture the complexity and dryness. If you like your nigorizake on the dry and elegant side, then this Blue is for you. WORD: Dry WINE: Dry Reds/Dry Whites BEER: Creamy Ales FOODS: American sushi, sashimi, international spice, yakitori, pub fare, comfort foods, cheese & fruit plates, and picnic fare.
From Saga Prefecture. Junmai Daiginjo. SMV: -2 Acidity: N/A
The nose on this expressive Daiginjo is a wonderful collection of grape, tangerine, persimmon, Asian pear, honeydew, strawberry, white peach, and white lilac aromas. Say hello to everybody’s favorite rice varietal "Omachi" made the Nabeshima way. This exciting brew is the perfect blend between technique and Omachi’s unique flavors that drink with a slight spritz, bright, crisp, zesty, slippery, fleshy, and very elegant with a professional round finish. And what about those flavors? Holy Moly! Look for fresh apple, papaya, persimmon, peach, honeycomb, green apple, kiwi, ginger, breakfast cereal bar, orange peel, and a hint of white pepper and ginger. There are plenty of effervescent sakes out there today, but this sake is not that. It is gentle with an elegant zest that is more positive than distracting, and excels in a white wine glass. WORD: Expressive WINE: Zesty Reds/Crisp Whites BEER: Crispy Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters, Champagne fare, high-end grilled fish and chicken.
From Saga Prefecture. Junmai Daiginjo. SMV: -1 Acidity: N/A
The nose on this incredible Junmai Daiginjo is a fascinating collection of mango, blackberry, baking flour, powdered sugar, honeydew, grape, lemon, whipped cream, flint, and black pepper aromas. If and when you taste this fabulous sake, you could very well be the only person that you know that has tasted Tankan Wataribune rice that is a descendant of Omachi, and rarely used in high-end sake making. Rich-light, crisp, spritz-light, silky, smooth, round, medium-bodied, frisky, and with a laser finish, this sake drinks with a slippery yet sharp elegance that would appeal to wine drinkers who seek out complexity and balance. Look for lemon-lime, dry papaya, poppy seed, blackberry, persimmon, blueberry, green apple, basil, popcorn, daikon, and egg custard flavors with lots of umami, and a hint of earth tones that jump with astringency and a smart clean finish. Made the Nabeshima way and extolling a very unique flavor of rice, this sake speaks best in a wine glass. WORD: Exotic WINE: Complex Reds/Sharp Whites BEER: Crisp Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, white fish carpaccio, fresh tofu, heirloom tomatoes with cracked salt, oysters, ponzu dishes, steaks & chops.
From Saga Prefecture. Junmai Daiginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: N/A
The nose on this dynamic Junmai Daiginjo is a stellar collection of papaya, lemongrass, cherry, winter melon, grapefruit, and sweet corn aromas. Fukuchiyo Shuzo are extremely well regarded in the sake world for making a unique style of delicious sake, and this Yamadabo is another expression of their technique using a very famous, but relatively unknown rice varietal that is one of the parents of the world famous Yamadanishiki, with the other parent being Tankan Wataribune rice. So this is almost a target sake in that the brewers use their style to hit the target of the flavor of Yamadabo rice. Silky, spritzy, tingly, lively, crisp, and elegant, with a long fresh finish. This sake is medium-bodied with a sliver of bitterness, and an overall dry feeling. So what does Yamadabo taste like? Look for mangosteen, mint, melon ICEE, sweet rice, rock sugar, honeydew, grape, watermelon, lemon peel, bamboo, bitter melon, lemon-lime, and mineral flavors that pulse with an integrated acidity, creating a complex, elegant, and refreshing drinking experience that is perfect for omakase sushi experiences. WORD: Spritzy WINE: Deep Reds/Crisp Whites BEER: Crisp Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, crab, shrimp, lobster, ponzu dishes, oysters with lemon, yakitori, and champagne fare.