Hi <<First Name>>,

I have Hiyaoroshi #2 for you! Hiyaoroshi are single pasteurized right after brewing then aged until they are perfect and also, it’s cool enough to ship them. Age softens the edges, bringing out fall flavors of caramel, nougat and root vegetables. Perfect for fall foods and everyone from novice to geek. Tasting notes on these eight bottles below. I also still have Hiyaoroshi #1 available. Tasting notes via that link. 

Shipping now. Ground is OK as they are single pasteurized. Please feel free to fill out the case with four Mystery Bottles and leave me some direction in the comments. 

This is the last chance to order the Advent Calendar
Don’t miss out! It’s been a massive success thanks to you. We set up a Facebook group to share thoughts on the cups and I am trying to set up at least one brewery chat. If you already have a calendar, please show it off to friends in person or online. I’m @namazakepaul on Instagram. #sakecalendar #sakeadventcalendar 

Tasting Notes on Hiyaoroshi #2

Toyonaoki Hiyaoroshi Junmai Karakuchi

This Shimane brewery may be new to many of you. They are known for making old school style Sake. Here we have a Karakuchi or extra dry style. After pouring clear, indeed a dry, mineral nose showing some linen. The locally grown Gohyakumangoku rice delivers a pillowy soft and earthy palate. There’s nice acidity, as the dryness builds to a spicy finish. 

Kikuhime Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi 

Almost everything from this brewery has stratospheric prices given they essentially popularized Yamahai style sake. Noguchi-toji has since started his own brand but his traditions are still flourishing at Kikuhime. This is your chance to try their Sake (including AAA rated Yamada Nishiki) under $200. Pours slightly yellow with a welcoming sweet nose of barley tea and fresh bamboo. House yeast is on display. The palate has a medium weight featuring roasted chestnuts, leading into sweet cocoa. The acidity dances to the back and sides of your tongue spreading the subtle, complex umami. This is not an umami bomb, rather more elegant. 

Sawanoi Junmai Hiyaoroshi

A sweet nose of vanilla custard garnished with candied ginger blossom. The palate feels more like yeast #9 with telltale cherry pit notes (compare to the Gokyo). The finish is extended and pretty with a bit of hazelnut.  A crowd pleaser with an old school label, this is a pan-Japan bottling made with Akita Komachi rice from way up north, yeast originally from Kumamoto and brewed in Tokyo. They have gorgeous grounds you an walk and have a nice lunch.

Otokoyama Kimoto Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

Otokoyama from Hokkaido is always a favorite, no just because of their cute labels but also masters of coaxing fresh elegance from the ancient Kimoto method of lactic starter. This is a Tokubetsu meaning special. They’ve used 3 different rice, all polished to 60%. So it could be labeled a Ginjo but because they are using savory yeast #7, it’s a Tokubetsu. Upon opening, we immediately we get jackfruit on the nose, building to even more tropical notes. There’s plush Goyakumangoku mouthfeel with some nice mango smoothie notes. The finish is crisp and herbal with cleansing tangerine acidity. 

Daisekkei Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

I’ve had so much fun exploring this Nagano brewery this year. Their Spring Namazake was a stunner. Their Summer Natsu was straight delicious. I put one of their cups in the Advent Calendar and now their Hiyaoproshi is here! The Nose is softly mineral featuring Korean yellow melon. So complex, I just want to smell it all day. There's a rich mouthfeel driving good umami at first then a bit of punch to a short, clean finish. Less sweet than their Spring Nama but just as enticing. You’ll be back for another sip immediately. 

Heiwa Kid Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi 

Heiwa is a new producer for me and a relatively young brewery only making sake in earnest since the 50s. Using their very soft water, they combine highly aromatic modern yeast to make a sake for the Instagram set. The nose is explosively aromatic but also savory. The palate is all Ginjo with classic honeydew melon. Very much a modern style which is big up front and clean on the finish. Just what the kids like. 

Gokyo Junmai Hiyaoroshi

As many of you know, this is my favorite brewery. From their enigmatic leader to their bold sake and pioneering experimentalism. Last year’s Hiyaoroshi was compromised by a poor rice harvest. It took months for it to open up but this year it’s back on point. There’s an enormous nose of honeysuckle and strawberry. While labeled as a Junmai, it is very much done in a Ginjo style using yeast 9E which produces lots of cherry on the palate. I love the soft, long, vanilla finish. Really versatile for pairings. 

Hiraizumi “Maruhi” Yamahai Junmai Hiyaoroshi

From another of my favorite breweries, this time up in Akita, look for one of their cups in the Advent Calendar as well. So much complexity on the nose, my mind might break. I get cantaloupe, bruised pear and a bunch of other stuff. Mouthfeel has a nectar richness with tingling acidity. Yamahai is a faster process than Kimoto as it uses a warm lactic starter instead of cold. This often produces a more oxidized character to the finished product but not here. Just the elevated acidity and umami. Pair with fatty foods.
 

Order Hiyaoroshi #2 now!