Rare pours and the stories behind them.
An insider's guide to rare Japanese sake — the bottles, the bars, and the cups worth seeking out, from someone drinking it in Japan.
Sake ReviewsOct 5, 2026
A tasting review of Amabuki Junmai Omachi Hiyaoroshi, brewed with cosmos flower yeast in Miyaki, Saga. Quiet in aroma, drier than expected, and best understood next to Shichida's Omachi hiyaoroshi.
Sake WareOct 1, 2026
A blue Hagi ware plate by Tenryu Kiln, found by chance at a ceramics fair in Kitakyushu, now my go-to mukozuke-style dish for sashimi with sake.
Sake ReviewsSep 30, 2026
A tasting review of Shichida Junmai Omachi Hiyaoroshi from Tenzan Shuzo in Saga. Omachi rice polished only to 75%, rested through summer, full of flavor yet surprisingly clean.
Sake WareSep 28, 2026
A Bizen ware guinomi by potter Ryohei Sakai of La Bizen, found at a pottery fair in Kokura, Kitakyushu. Its unglazed texture, the three pale circles left by the firing, what the potter told me at his booth, and what happened when I poured Shichida hiyaoroshi into it.
Sake ReviewsSep 15, 2026
A tasting review of Nichi Nichi Yamadanishiki from Nichinichi Brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto. Low in alcohol, gently sparkling, and quietly full of umami.
Sake ReviewsSep 7, 2026
A tasting review of Nabeshima Summer Moon, a seasonal ginjo from Fukuchiyo Shuzo in Saga. Light, clean, and built for the dinner table rather than the aroma glass.
🍶 Sake Reviews 11
Honest tasting notes on Japanese sake, from bottles you can order anywhere to rare jizake.
🏺 Sake Ware 5
The vessels that bring sake to life — Hagi, Arita, yachimun and more — and where to find pieces like them.
📖 Guides 2
Getting started with sake: types, temperatures, and how to buy well wherever you live.
Toshi, writing from Kyushu in southern Japan — and someone who has spent years chasing bottles that never leave it. More about The Sake Encounter →