u/Hizzy13

Got to try three different Hakkaisan expressions side by side yesterday . Pretty interesting seeing how different they were even though they’re all from the same brewery. This was during a tasting!

#42 — Hakkaisan Awa Sparkling Junmai Daiginjo — 3/5
Dry, crisp, and refreshing with delicate pear, apple, and floral notes. Fine bubbles and bright acidity lead into more of a rice/yeasty finish. Clean overall, but the dryness and finish weren’t really my preferred style.

#43 — Hakkaisan Junmai Daiginjo 45 — 3/5
Clean and crisp with pear, melon, subtle apple, and light floral notes. There’s a little sweetness up front, but I noticed a clear alcohol presence on the finish that held it back for me. Definitely enjoyed this one more with food.

#44 — Hakkaisan Snow-Aged Junmai Daiginjo — 4/5
This was easily my favorite of the three. Super mellow, light, and aromatic with pear, melon, and delicate floral notes. Smooth and rounded mouthfeel. It still leans toward the drier side and has a slight alcohol warmth on the finish, but overall it was very smooth and refined.

Really fun little Hakkaisan tasting. The Snow-Aged was the clear winner for me.

44 different sakes tried now. #45 is next 🍶

A little outside my usual lane since I normally prefer fruit-forward Junmai Ginjo and Daiginjo, but this surprised me.

My notes:
Very smooth from the first sip and ridiculously easy to drink. Definitely on the drier side, but it almost went down like water. Clean, light, and there was very little alcohol burn on the finish, which is a huge plus for me.

This was bottle #41

My rating: 4.5/5

This one definitely reminded me that I don’t necessarily dislike dry sake . I dislike harsh sake. 🍶

Definitely on the sweeter side and pretty smooth up front. I got lychee, grape, creamy rice, and delicate floral notes with a nice soft fruitiness and personally I tasted some light banana notes.

The main thing holding it back for me was the finish. There was a noticeable warm alcohol burn in the back of my throat that lingered longer than I wanted. Still very easy to sip overall, but not quite as seamless as some of my favorite Junmai Ginjo.

Good bottle, just not a 4–5/5 for my palate.
3.5/5. This was bottle #40 on my tasting log!

Got four more bottles lined up to try, so I’ll keep posting the reviews 🍶

Give me this kool aid all season long. Absolutely love what I am seeing from practice to this!!

Super smooth from the start with basically no alcohol burn. Much more rice-forward than the fruitier sakes I usually go for, with soft creamy rice notes and a really clean finish.

We had it with food and I thought it worked really well with the meal. Very easy to drink and impressively smooth, just not quite as fruit-forward as my personal favorites.

My rating: 4/5.

Sake #39.: Only took me 39 sakes to finally get around to the Drunken Whale 😂

Smooth and creamy with a lot of lively carbonation. Definitely on the sweeter side, but the bubbles kept it feeling light and refreshing instead of heavy. Very easy to drink.

I enjoyed it more with food than by itself. The sweetness and creamy texture felt much more balanced alongside the meal.

Sake #38

Marlin Klein could be the TE the Texans have been waiting for since Owen Daniels

Via X: TexanRoundTable

Marlin Klein TD 👀 I know it’s just practice but man… if this dude develops into an actual receiving threat too, we might have something special.

Super smooth from the very first sip with no noticeable alcohol warmth. I got fresh melon up front with a really nice pear finish. Silky, clean, and elegant without being too dry or too sweet.

We had it chilled with food and it was ridiculously easy to drink. Sake #37 I have tried

My rating: 5/5

I know the way last season ended still stings, but I have to admit… this training camp has me excited again.

The defense looks every bit as dominant as advertised, and it feels like they’re picking up right where they left off. On offense, I’ve been encouraged by the reports on C.J. Stroud, the new system seems to be coming together, and it’s been great seeing Tank Dell back on the practice field. Plus, hearing that the offense has been handling pressure and blitzes much better than last year is exactly what I wanted to hear.

Am I drinking the Kool-Aid, or is anyone else starting to believe this could be a good season?
What’s your biggest reason for optimism heading into Week 1?

Light and elegant from the start with a delicate floral aroma. Smooth on the first sip with just a slight warmth that quickly fades. I picked up Asian pear along with soft, creamy rice notes that gave it a silky mouthfeel. It sits nicely between dry and sweet without leaning too far in either direction. The finish is clean, refined, and has very little alcohol burn.

Don’t mind the cup, I got it for my Fiancèe from Japan because she wanted a sakura flowers glass lol! Will be getting a nice small sake set soon!

My rating: 4.5/5

This is from Central Market here in Texas. Honestly probably one of the better selections that I have seen

Looks like PopUp Bagels is continuing its Texas expansion with another Houston shop.

According to recent permit filings, the new location will be at MKT (600 N Shepherd Dr., Suites 117 & 120) and will include a 1,240-square-foot build-out with an estimated $350,000 investment.

Construction is currently scheduled to begin September 1 and finish around October 22, 2026, assuming everything stays on schedule.

This will add another PopUp Bagels location to the Houston area as the brand continues expanding across Texas.

Source: Coming Soon Texas

Slim Chickens is preparing to expand its presence in Central Texas with a new restaurant planned for New Braunfels.

The new franchise location will take over an existing restaurant space at 1395 I-H 35 North Frontage Road. The project involves the renovation of a 2,897-square-foot building to accommodate the fast-casual chicken chain, carrying an estimated construction cost of $200,000.

Construction is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026, with completion currently targeted for April 1, 2027.

📍 1395 I-H 35 North Frontage Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130

Source: Coming Soon Texas

Added another sake to my tasting list today (#35): Hitachino Awashizuku Sparkling Sake.

My notes:
Very light, crisp, and refreshing, Delicate floral notes
Fine bubbles with bright acidity, Soft creamy rice finish, Clean and easy to drink I ended up enjoying it much more with sushi than on its own.
My rating:
4/5 with food
3/5 by itself
I usually prefer melon, pear, peach notes and very little alcohol burn, so this was a bit outside my usual sweet spot.

Abilene, TX - A new Summer Moon Coffee is coming soon to the Antilley Shopping Center at 6950 S Clack St. Construction to remodel the existing lease space for the new coffee shop is expected to begin in late August 2026 and wrap up by the end of November 2026.
📍 6950 S Clack St., Abilene, TX 79606

Via “Coming Soon Texas” on Facebook

Sugar Land, TX: Acai Brasil is coming soon to the Riverstone Shopping Center in Sugar Land. The estimated cost for this project is $90,000. Located at 18721 University Blvd, the development involves the interior remodel of a 1,424-square-foot lease space to accommodate the popular Brazilian-owned smoothie and açaí bowl shop. Construction for the new store is expected to begin in mid-August 2026 and should be completed by the end of October 2026.
📍 18721 University Blvd Ste. 130, Sugar Land, TX 77479

Via “Coming Soon Texas” on Facebook

Midland, TX: A new Layne's Chicken Fingers is coming soon to Midland! The estimated cost for this project is $400,000. Located at 902 Andrews Highway, this project involves the remodel of an existing 2,307-square-foot quick-service restaurant to transform the space into the beloved Texas-based chicken finger chain. Construction to retrofit the drive-thru location is scheduled to begin in mid-September 2026 and is expected to be completed right before the holidays in late December 2026.
📍 902 Andrews Hwy, Midland, TX 79701

Via “Coming Soon Texas” on Facebook