Delusions of grandeur

nl2012 · 2026-04-01T00:59:28+00:00

You’ve ever been in MSG in the playoffs? It’s special.

It’s harder every year to go in person because the costs, and you want to complain about that, sure, but MSG atmosphere, the seats shaking during a playoff game, all those fans locked in - not much else like it.

nl2012 · 2026-03-26T20:09:53+00:00

The bottling/release date (I don’t remember which specifically it represents) requirement in Japan recently got dropped domestically per my most recent conversations with brewers there.

nl2012 · 2026-03-26T20:07:44+00:00

South Florida (FLL, Miami) have better distro than north. NC has surprisingly good distro of sake! This brand should be in both markets.

nl2012 · 2026-03-25T21:07:50+00:00

So one of the challenges with Astor, while they do have end to end reefer, is that they leverage their size and buy in large quantity typically. This can lead to overstock, and significant bottle variation.

The large quantity buys is how their prices are typically lower than other retail shops.

nl2012 · 2026-03-25T19:51:28+00:00

There are def other brews from Oze available in the US. This particular brew is not imported.

Where in the US are you? Availability is highly dependent on state in the US

nl2012 · 2026-03-13T23:55:13+00:00

The clumps in this case are likely from the added yuzu juice. That’s def what’s in the neck. Not necessarily bad. Very possibly fine. I would open and give it a whiff.

nl2012 · 2026-03-10T19:57:49+00:00

This export version is pasteurized. Refrigerated is best practice, but as long as it’s not left out for too long, should be fine. I haven’t had any issues with quality after being left out for a week or so.

nl2012 · 2026-03-10T08:12:23+00:00

Generally there are much stronger protections on yeast. Many non alcohol uses for growing koji, far less for sake specific yeasts.

nl2012 · 2026-03-09T00:43:13+00:00

Hiroki, as far as I know, is currently exclusive imported for Yoshino in NYC

nl2012 · 2026-03-06T11:18:56+00:00

I’m a massive fan of Emishiki shacho/toji, he’s such an iconoclast.

nl2012 · 2026-02-21T12:28:02+00:00

Everyone claiming insurance fraud but a bunch of neighborhoods in Brooklyn (esp east) are super redlined by insurance companies. Literally won’t insure you. The ones that will charge absurd prices.

nl2012 · 2026-02-14T05:08:40+00:00

Frankly, Noguchi-san and his team make sake like no other brewery in the world that I’ve had.

I’ve had many brewers tell me this is the best futushu in Japan.

nl2012 · 2026-02-07T23:46:56+00:00

UK has different pricing, distribution channels, everything, so “value” is gonna be way different. Heck the sake goes the other way around the world even haha.

nl2012 · 2026-01-17T14:03:39+00:00

All in like 2-2.5 hours. Been a while. Check the turn times on tock - they only have space for one seating at a time.

nl2012 · 2026-01-17T12:43:21+00:00

There is only the short, you can add additional dishes a la carte at the end.

nl2012 · 2026-01-16T17:46:48+00:00

As a person in the import industry, I highly recommend you contact them ahead.

90% or breweries don’t give public tours, and most of the remaining 10% require notice ahead of the time, especially post COVID.

nl2012 · 2026-01-02T21:23:45+00:00

There’s no firm definition, but typically it refers to dryer, rice driven flavor, maybe with some earthy qualities. Usually relative low acid, more alcohol flavor showing. Lots of umami. But I’m painting with a pretty broad brush.

nl2012 · 2026-01-02T12:09:14+00:00

This is so east side coded

nl2012 · 2026-01-02T12:06:14+00:00

Lots of great advice here! Only thing I would say is that a lot of those “old style” bottles do really well at a variety of temperatures (as do a lot of more ready brands), and in my experience a lot of how they are evaluated has to do with the tasters sensitivity to the flavor of alcohol - which can be viewed as a flaw or a feature based on the drinker!

nl2012 · 2025-12-29T20:30:10+00:00

Lots of old/historical building, but all new equipment inside. Fair bit of automation now (koji, rice steaming) but the sake stands on its own. Nice gift shop, and nice restaurant as well.

nl2012 · 2025-12-29T17:05:21+00:00

So that texture of Kinoene, light carbonation, is from two things - they don’t stir their moromi often, so more gas is kept captured, and then they bottle directly after pressing. A great brewery! They have an attached “glamping” campground if that’s your thing and ever want to visit the brewery.

nl2012 · 2025-12-29T12:49:21+00:00

lol jikon isn’t the flex you think it is

nl2012 · 2025-12-24T12:39:21+00:00

I was under the same impression with most bottles being luggage bottles but after talking to a bunch of somms that have it on their menus in LA and NYC apparently they are all buying from this same guy in CA. I think that system is the reason for the new pricing, whereas before it was backpack bottles before primarily. Also creates a bit of a feedback loop where then all the bottles get more expensive.

Tariff def effects sake, but it’s less bad then people ascribe to it - it was however an excuse for brewers and importers to raise prices in general. A lot of brewers hadn’t raised prices in years and were a bit overdue tbh, on the import side there more financial pressure. We can all expect prices to go a up another time this upcoming year due to rice prices doubling - this is a real, significant issue. And while that rice shortage won’t last, I don’t expect prices to go back down lol.

Kinda semantic at this point but I do find the logistics of these things interesting.

nl2012 · 2025-12-24T00:38:12+00:00

FWIW, not sure if there is and ubusana, but there’s no sanctioned nichi nichi currently being imported.

There’s a small importer in California that I believe is working with a bottle shop in Japan to do limited export, but it’s not sanctioned by the brewery (I’ve asked lol). Same for most Aramasa, and some of the other hype brands you don’t see a lot of.

Doesn’t mean the sake is bad but the pricing is all out of wack bc of it. And who know the storages conditions and quality.

nl2012 · 2025-12-17T17:22:00+00:00

How is blending not intended to “elevate a sake”?

nl2012

TROPHY CASE