Blog Archive
Every article on The Sake Encounter, organized by category.
🍾Sake6 articles
Mii no Kotobuki Fuku vs +14: Two Very Different Sakes from One Fukuoka Brewery
A side-by-side tasting of two Mii no Kotobuki sakes from Tachiarai, Fukuoka: the elegant, fruity Junmai Daiginjo Fuku and the sharp, dry Junmai Ginjo +14, paired with cured ham.
Kaze no Mori Akitsuho 657 Review: Fruity, Rice-Driven, and Full of Nama Sake Energy
A hands-on Kaze no Mori Akitsuho 657 review, following its fruit, rice-driven umami, natural fizz, and flavor changes from opening day to one week later.
Four Kyushu Sakes in a Wooden Masu: A Tasting Flight at Sumiyoshi Shuhan, Hakata Station
A quick sake tasting at Sumiyoshi Shuhan inside Hakata Station: four Kyushu junmai daiginjo, a wooden masu, mentaiko with mozzarella, and thirty minutes before the shinkansen.
Nabeshima Omachi vs Yamada Nishiki: A Side-by-Side Sake Tasting
Two Nabeshima Junmai Ginjo—Akaiwa Omachi and Yamada Nishiki—tasted side by side to compare aroma, texture, finish, and food pairing.
Kagura Ruri Sake: The Kyoto Junmai I Chased from My Favorite Sake Bar to Kyoto Station
How a bottle I kept meeting at my local sake bar led me to Matsui Shuzo's Kagura Ruri in Kyoto — an unfiltered, undiluted junmai that went on to win a trophy at IWC 2026.
Nabeshima Sake: The Saga Bottle That Made Me Fall in Love with Nihonshu
A personal introduction to Nabeshima sake from Fukuchiyo Shuzo in Kashima, Saga — the bottle that changed my mind about nihonshu and started The Sake Encounter.
🏺Sake Ware3 articles
Gen-emon Kiln Soba Choko: Arita Porcelain for Sake and Somen
Discover a Gen-emon Kiln soba choko from Arita, Japan, and how I use this versatile porcelain cup for sake, somen, small dishes, and dessert.
Takahama Ware Guinomi: A Dolphin Sake Cup from Amakusa's Porcelain Tradition
This Takahama Ware guinomi hides a dolphin beneath the sake. It connects my memories of living in Amakusa with the region's porcelain stone and ceramic tradition.
Fukagawa Seiji Botan Kinmiru Guinomi: A Cobalt-and-Gold Sake Cup I Found in Hakata
I found a Fukagawa Seiji Botan Kinmiru guinomi at the brand's Hakata store. Here is how its cobalt blue, gold details, thin rim, and white porcelain interior shape the sake experience.
📖Guides2 articles
What Does +14 Mean on a Sake Label? Understanding the Sake Meter Value
What does +14 mean on a sake label? A guide to the Sake Meter Value, what nihonshudo actually measures, and why a single number cannot explain how a sake tastes.
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Muroka, Nama, and Genshu Explained: What These Sake Label Terms Mean
What do muroka, nama, and genshu mean? Learn how unfiltered, unpasteurized, and undiluted sake differ, using bottles I actually tasted in Japan.