Nomidachi News Archive

April 2020



April 13

Hello There, Nomidachi!


We hope you and yours are keeping well and healthy and relatively content. Strange times, indeed.

As for us, we're feeling revitalized with the nice spring weather and all the new-to-Washington and limited seasonal sake that's been made available for us to share with you. Despite the current "general" circumstances, there's never been a better time to be a sake drinker, and we are super excited about getting these new, exciting sake out there in people's glasses.

As far as current operations are concerned, we are continuing with RETAIL ONLY/Take Out/Curbside Pick-up service for the time being, and our hours of operation remain:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6:00 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

We're hoping to have an announcement very soon about online sales and local in-state delivery, so please bear with us as we figure it out and get it in place.

In the meantime, in addition to the 200 or so sake we have on the shelves, we're pleased to be featuring an outstanding lineup of "featured" sake this week for your consideration.

Thank you for hanging in there with us and making us feel significant and important to you. We couldn't do it without you, and YOU are the reason we are here!

Please try and make the best of all the isolation and forced (?!) family time. I hope this weird time serves as a giant reset to remind me of what's really important: family, friends, good sake, and as many laughs as we can manage.

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 

Current Featured Saké
More seasonal releases and brand new sake are avaialble. Check these out!

Fukucho “Moon on the Water” Junmai Ginjo Namazake (Hiroshima)                 
Limited seasonal release! The nose shows notes of pine needles, oranges, cloves, ginger, and persimmon. Lively and fairly acidic on the palate (nearly carbonated!).  Juicy and sharp melon flavors contrast nicely with the sake’s soft texture.  $55/720 ml bottle

Ama no To “Heaven’s Door” Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake (Akita)                   
Limited seasonal release! Salt and mineral essences.  The medium body and soft texture make it a good “food sake” (parmesan cheese will be delightful).  Vaguely sweet, though with a drier, somewhat sharp finish and a touch astringent in the end.  $50/720ml bottle




Shichi Hon Yari Ginfubuki Junmai Ginjo (Shiga)
Brand new to Washington! Pronounced yellow/green coloring, with earthy, nutty, and straw notes in the nose. Somewhat sharp and acidic, and a touch saline. Very low-key and unostentatious – a real “sake drinker’s sake.” Brewed at one of Japan’s oldest (established in the 1540’s) and smallest (crew of 4 brewers) breweries, using Ginfubuki rice, a hybrid of well-known Yamada Nishiki and local varietal Tamazakae and registered as sakamai (“sake rice”) in 1999 by local Shiga farmers.  Such a handsome bottle, to boot! $45/720 ml bottle


Fuku Chitose “Toku” Yamahai Junmai Ginjo (Fukui)                                   
Brand new to Washington! Light yellow coloring and notes of white peach in the nose. Clean, mildly acidic, and displays a mellow sweetness that gradually moves to a dry finish. Solid and classy, just as the super cool bottle and label combination suggest. $40/720 ml bottle






Tsukinowa “Moon Ring” Tokubetsu Junmai (Iwate)                                    
Clean and solid, with traces of mild astringency.  Sweetness is nicely balanced with mineral acidity.  Soft, full mouthfeel.  Dry finish makes it easy to drink more, so be careful! $40/720ml bottle


Bijofu “The Gentleman” Tokubetsu Junmai (Kochi)                                                
Greenish gold tint, with gorgeous ginjo-ka (aroma of ginjo) of grapefruit and green apple.  Fairly full mouthfeel, with notes of fruity tartness throughout the palate.
$32/720 ml bottle


Other sake of note, not to be missed:










Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo (Yamagata)                                                   Very limited collaboration bottling between French rock band Phoenix and Tatenokawa Brewery.  Greenish gold tint, with aromas of blackberry, mint, lavender, mulch, and tree bark.  Light, lively, and lissome, with perfect acidity. Our best-selling bottle in 2019.  $60/720 ml bottle



Shichi Hon Yari “Seven Spearsmen” Namazake Junmai (Shiga)                                  
Another intriguing seasonal release, the nose is slightly smokey and yeasty, with notes of browned bread pastry, tangerine, and even a little mozzarella.  Light and soft, it features melon and mellow fruitiness on the palate, with some smoke and earthiness mid-palate, and traces of astringency and tartness on the edges and in the finish. 
$45/720 ml bottle
 

April 6

Konnichi wa, Nomidachi!



We continue to improvise and adapt to the current environment by conducting our RETAIL ONLY/Take Out/Curbside Pick-up service for the time being, and our hours of operation remain:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6:00 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

It's been extremely difficult, but we've realized that short-term (with your continued generous support, of course -- THANK YOU!!), we may be able to weather this storm.

We've realized, too, that because of our minimal, bare bones operation, we don't need to do a million transactions a day to make up for the sudden and complete disappearance of our on premises by the glass/bar business (roughly half our revenue during the best of times).

Just as our one-time world champion Seahawks have their "12s," if we have 12 or so supporters/customers a day, we might be able to somehow grind this out.

So, if you're willing and able, please call/email an order or swing by the shop and be a Saké Nomi "12." Part of the Saké Drinking Daily Dozen? Whatever -- we'll get to work on the theme and name.

In all earnestness, though, thank you  for sticking with us through this pretty awful time.

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and in good spirits.  Hang in there, keep washing your hands, and take good care of one another!

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 

Current Featured Saké
Here are a few of our sake suggestions available this week. If some of them look familiar from last week, it's because we need to move them (perhaps we over purchased just a touch?) in order to make space in the fridge for the plethora of new, seasonal releases that are "in the pipeline" at our distributor's warehouse.

All the same, we're pleased to present last year's best-selling bottle, as well as a brand-new-to-Washington delight from Shichi Hon Yari. Enjoy!











Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo (Yamagata)                                                   Very limited collaboration bottling between French rock band Phoenix and Tatenokawa Brewery.  Greenish gold tint, with aromas of blackberry, mint, lavender, mulch, and tree bark.  Light, lively, and lissome, with perfect acidity. Our best-selling bottle in 2019.  $60/720 ml bottle


Gokyo Arabashiri “First Run” Junmai Nama Genshu (Yamaguchi)
Extremely limited seasonal release! Tart, young fruit flavors of pear and apple.  Soft mouthfeel is in pleasant contrast to solid acidity and slightly bitter notes in the finish.  The brewery, Sakai Shuzo, was established in 1871.
$60/720 ml bottle

Seikyo “Omachi” Namazake Tokubetsu Junmai (Hiroshima)      Easily one of  Saké Nomi's most popular seasonal releases!  Soft & citrusy, with a luxurious, almost viscous mouthfeel.  Notes of grapefruit and lemon throughout, creating a wonderful, beguiling contrast between the sharpness of the acidic citrus elements and the silky texture.  Traces of minerality and astringency on the edges make it an ideal pairing for oysters on the half-shell.  $55/720 ml bottle 


Harushika “Spring Deer” Shiboribana Junmai Ginjo (Nara)                                  
Extremely limited seasonal release! Slight yellow tint, with essence of strawberry and gardenia.  Clean and vaguely citrus. Tingly and astringent character, with mineral notes in the somewhat dry finish.
$45/720 ml bottle






Shichi Hon Yari “Seven Spearsmen” Namazake Junmai (Shiga)                                  
Another intriguing seasonal release, the nose is slightly smokey and yeasty, with notes of browned bread pastry, tangerine, and even a little mozzarella.  Light and soft, it features melon and mellow fruitiness on the palate, with some smoke and earthiness mid-palate, and traces of astringency and tartness on the edges and in the finish. 
$45/720 ml bottle



Shichi Hon Yari Ginfubuki Junmai Ginjo (Shiga)
Brand new to Washington! Pronounced yellow/green coloring, with earthy, nutty, and straw notes in the nose. Somewhat sharp and acidic, and a touch saline. Very low-key and unostentatious – a real “sake drinker’s sake.” Brewed at one of Japan’s oldest (established in the 1540’s) and smallest (crew of 4 brewers) breweries, using Ginfubuki rice, a hybrid of well-known Yamada Nishiki and local varietal Tamazakae and registered as sakamai (“sake rice”) in 1999 by local Shiga farmers.  Such a handsome bottle, to boot! $45/720 ml bottle

 

April 27

Hello, Nomidachi!


How are you doing?

We regret not being able to ask you in person, face-to-face (mask-to-mask?) more often, but we hope you are keeping well and safe.

Like everyone else, we're doing our best to hang in there and trying to remain mindful of the good things. Your words of encouragement and tremendous support are way up there at the top of our list of the positives during these trying times. And, as we've mentioned before, the sake helps.

We're still doing the RETAIL ONLY/Take Out/Curbside Pick-up service thing, and our hours haven't changed, but if you need a reminder, they are:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6:00 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

This week, we are really excited to welcome back what are probably our top two most popular limited seasonal release sake of all-time (those in the know will recognize the labels below), and we can't wait to see how this year's versions stack up against the ones we've enjoyed in the past. We hope you'll have a chance to try some, too, and we'll continue to raise our glasses to your health, safety, and sanity.

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 


This Week's Featured Saké
This week's lineup is pretty incredible.

Chikurin “Otoro”  Muroka Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Okayama)                    
Otoro is a junmai daiginjo disguised as a junmai ginjo, in as much as it’s made with “estate grown” (by the brewer) Yamada Nishiki rice milled to 50%. It has a greenish gold tint (it is also muroka, or non-charcoal filtered), and a wonderfully complex nose showing raisin, honey, cinnamon, and plum. It has some spicy and peppery elements on the palate and a champagne-like semi-dryness (making it amazing with oysters on the half shell!), which ends in a subtle sour note and some astringency in the finish. Brand new export to the U.S. with very limited availability.  $70/720 ml bottle


Masumi “Arabashiri” Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Nagano) Saké Nomi’s most popular limited seasonal release returns!  Fruity (melons and pears) and full-bodied, with a pleasantly crisp acidity.  This nama (unpasteurized) genshu (undiluted saké) also packs a lovingly assertive punch at 17-18% alcohol.
$50/720 ml bottle


Taka “Noble Arrow” Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake (Yamaguchi)           
Limited seasonal release! Golden, slightly hazy coloring with vaguely citrus and mineral notes in the nose. Soft, pretty mouthfeel. Mildly sweet, but with tart, almost sour accents, as well. Nice acidity and a finish that kind of hangs around.  $50/720ml bottle


Denshin Haru “Spring” Junmai Ginjo (Fukui)                                                            
Limited seasonal release! This nama (unpasteurized) genshu (undiluted) has a brilliant golden hue with a gorgeous floral and candied bouquet.  Richly flavored, with intense ripe peach fruitiness on the palate.  Viscous, almost syrupy texture is nicely contrasted with perfect acidity.  $45/720 ml bottle



Okunomatsu Ginjo (Fukushima)                                                  
Clean, layered, and balanced.  Reminiscent of fresh spring water.  Mildly fragrant grape and pear aromas.  Champion Sake of the International Wine Challenge 2018.
$32/720 ml bottle

Bijofu “The Gentleman” Tokubetsu Junmai (Kochi)                                                
Greenish gold tint, with gorgeous ginjo-ka (aroma of ginjo) of grapefruit and green apple.  Fairly full mouthfeel, with notes of fruity tartness throughout the palate.
$32/720 ml bottle
 

April 20

Greetings, Nomidachi!


Just a quick note to let you know about some terrific sake that have become available to us and that we're featuring the next week or so.

We truly appreciate your patience and support as we figure out how to make this retail only operation work. For the time being, we are continuing with RETAIL ONLY/Take Out/Curbside Pick-up service, and our hours of operation remain:

Tuesday- Saturday: Noon- 6:00 pm
Sunday- Monday: CLOSED

So, if you're looking to relieve your cabin fever, or just want another live human being to converse with as you shop for essentials, please stop by!

Thanks again for your kind support and patience.  Please keep well and safe, and keep repeating whatever mantra you've come up with to help you get through this.

Oddly enough, "Kanpai!" has been working pretty well for us.

Arigatou & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko
 

The Return of Masumi Arabashiri "First Run"
Our most popular seasonal sake of all-time!
We were very glad to hear from the distributor yesterday that our most popular and highly awaited spring seasonal release, Masumi Arabashiri "First Run," has arrived in Washington and is available for delivery.

As a result, we are putting an order together for our first allotment, and it is scheduled to arrive next Tuesday, April 28. For those of you who might need a reminder about the flavor profile, our notes look something like this:


Masumi “Arabashiri” Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Nagano)    Saké Nomi’s most popular limited seasonal release is back!  Fruity (melons and pears) and full-bodied, with a pleasantly crisp acidity.  This nama (unpasteurized) genshu (undiluted saké) also packs a lovingly assertive punch at 17-18% alcohol.
Price: $50/720 ml bottle
Order by: Friday, April 24
Available in-store: Tuesday, April 28

A word to the wise: Since we started carrying Arabashiri a dozen or so years ago, it's become popular at area Japanese restaurants and sells out (it seems) quicker every year. We usually try to gather as many orders as we can in advance of its arrival so we can guarantee a decent quantity is available for our valued nomidachi.  What we're saying is, don't snooze on this one -- it's fantastic!


Current Featured Saké
More seasonal releases and brand new sake are avaialble. Check these out!

Fukucho “Moon on the Water” Junmai Ginjo Namazake (Hiroshima)                 
Limited seasonal release! The nose shows notes of pine needles, oranges, cloves, ginger, and persimmon. Lively and fairly acidic on the palate (nearly carbonated!).  Juicy and sharp melon flavors contrast nicely with the sake’s soft texture.  $55/720 ml bottle

Taka “Noble Arrow” Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake (Yamaguchi)           
Brand new to Washington, limited seasonal release! Golden, slightly hazy coloring with vaguely citrus and mineral notes in the nose. Soft, pretty mouthfeel. Mildly sweet, but with tart, almost sour accents, as well. Nice acidity and a finish that kind of hangs around.  $50/720ml bottle

Tengumai Junmai Daiginjo “50” (Ishikawa)                          
Nearly luminescent sunflower gold color.  Light and clean, with a suggestion of green apple and young fruit.  Delicate and finely textured with a tiny sour bite in the bracing finish.  Great “cost performance” in the junmai daiginjo grade!  $44/720 ml bottle


Fuku Chitose “Toku” Yamahai Junmai Ginjo (Fukui)                                   
Brand new to Washington! Light yellow coloring and notes of white peach in the nose. Clean, mildly acidic, and displays a mellow sweetness that gradually moves to a dry finish. Solid and classy, just as the super cool bottle and label combination suggest. $40/720 ml bottle






Bijofu “The Gentleman” Tokubetsu Junmai
(Kochi)                                                
Greenish gold tint, with gorgeous ginjo-ka (aroma of ginjo) of grapefruit and green apple.  Fairly full mouthfeel, with notes of fruity tartness throughout the palate.
$32/720 ml bottle


Zuiyo “Lucky Hawk” Junmai
(Kumamoto)                                                                  
Earthy, herbal aroma.  Light-bodied with mineral notes and a clean, slightly dry finish.  Sharp, layered, and complex, with a hint of cola.  Name comes from story about a hawk landing at the brewery on New Year’s Day -- a sign of good luck.  $30/720 ml bottle



And, this week's extra special "bonus bottle":

Chikurin "Otoro" Muroka Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Okayama)
Otoro is a junmai daiginjo disguised as a junmai ginjo, in as much as it’s made with “estate grown” (by the brewer) Yamada Nishiki rice milled to 50%. It has a greenish gold tint (it is also muroka, or non-charcoal filtered), and a wonderfully complex nose showing raisin, honey, cinnamon, and plum. It has some spicy and peppery elements on the palate and a champagne-like semi-dryness (making it amazing with oysters on the half shell!), which ends in a subtle sour note and some astringency in the finish. Brand new export to the U.S. with very limited availability.
Price: $70/720 ml
Available in-store: TODAY, April 21!! (while supplies last)
 

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Email: info@sakenomi.us
Telephone: 206-682-1117
106 Cherry Street,
Seattle, WA 98104
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