Aramasa Shuzo, Akita
Reviewed in H1 2025

Sake must be elegant
TOCKY's report
Numata's report
Asahitaka nama genshu (unpasteurised, undiluted)
93
Close · 4 of 5 axes match
Viridian 2020 jikagumi (bottled straight off the press)
91
Close · all 5 axes match
Jikon Nabari
89
Close · 4 of 5 axes match
Hananoka Tokubetsu Genteishu 9
87
Close · all 5 axes match
Among the closest shapes (at most one axis off by one step), ordered by score. Re-reviews of the same sake are excluded and each brewery appears once. Where fewer than four qualify, the next closest shapes fill the gap.
Here's Ash, a rare bottle from the Colors series, made with Kame no O rice, which leaves a distinctive bitterness in the finish. This year's Ash was stored and matured in Mizunara oak casks before shipping. Against the backdrop of Kame no O's hard-edged character, vanilla bean, a whiskey-like sweetness, and a roasted note like Shaoxing wine burst through. What keeps the Mizunara cask from putting on a one-man show is the sheer depth of character that Kame no O, as a sake rice, brings to the table.