r/Sake

I recently ended up with these six unopened ceramic bottles of Yonetsuru (米鶴) sake. I’m not looking for a valuation or trying to sell them — I’ve gotten curious about what exactly they are and where they would have originally been sold.
All six bottles are the same general shape and size but have different traditional artwork/calligraphy. The cups appear to coordinate with the bottles, which makes me wonder whether this was originally sold as a six-bottle gift/presentation set. Unfortunately, I don’t have a box or any other packaging.
From the surviving labels I’ve been able to identify:
米鶴酒造株式会社 / Yonetsuru Sake Brewery
Takahata, Yamagata
180ml bottles
17.5–18.5% ABV
濃醇酒
一級 / First Grade
Based on the brewery’s corporate history and the old 一級 classification, I believe they should fall somewhere between 1972 and 1992. I was told they’re at least 40 years old, but I don’t have anything that proves a specific bottling date.
What I’m really hoping someone here might know is the context.
Were these six bottles/cups actually sold together as a set? Was this a domestic Japanese gift product, a regional Yamagata souvenir, or something marketed to tourists? Does anyone recognize the artwork or know whether the individual designs have any particular theme or significance? And has anyone seen another example of these?
I’ve searched in English and Japanese and haven’t been able to find another example of this exact Yonetsuru ceramic collection.
I’m attaching a photo of everything together along with close-ups of the labels and seals. I’d appreciate anything anyone happens to know about them — even if it’s just context about how products like this were typically sold during that period.

Crafted using the historical hashira-shochu method originating from the Edo period, this Abe Plus release combines junmai sake with house-distilled shochu (kasutori shochu), added to the sake mash right before pressing for a complex and hybrid flavor profile.
Nose: Gentle bouquet, subtly scent of grapes
Palate: Classic juiciness and sweetness from junmai sake pairs gentle citrusy acidity, without any harsh alcohol heat
Finish: Crisp and refreshing dry finish signature of shochu

Always a quiet pioneer and one of my favorites. Some directly from the brewery and some saved over the last 6 months. Some of the cleanest tasting yamahai, and the classic super dry junmai has a coffee-like finish.

Crafted with Suisei sake rice from Hokkaido, Ocean 99 Hoshiumi by Kankiku is a summer limited sake supposed to serve “ocean breeze at a summer night”. It’s clear, crisp, and gentle. It balances sweetness with mild acidity and umami. I also tasted a slight yogurt flavor, probably because it’s unfiltered. I was delighted to have found and tried this highly rated sake at a sashimi joint in Tokyo. I would buy an entire bottle if I could find it somewhere.

No I know it’s not connected to the whisky distillery (unless I’m to be stand corrected?) but had this the other night among a tasting of other bottles and this stood out. I wish I had notes to share but coming from a whisk(e)y/sipping spirits lover, this was a bottle I would buy again. Any others with experience? If I liked this, any other suggestions on similar bottles from the more experienced crowd?

Thank you!

A powerful start with a definite "pop" on opening. This is a robust unfiltered sparkling sake that lives up to its promise: 'Aiming for a sake you never tire of drinking, centered on rice savory umami and acidity.' The profile is deeply complex, featuring a rich, savory umami with a pronounced rice flavor, all balanced by a sharp, invigorating sourness. Pleasantly at 11% ABV, you can easily enjoy as champagne in any occasion.

Can anyone enlighten me on what BD.21 means? It is the only marking I can find on the bottle that could relate to a date. The sake doesn’t taste off but the color seems dark to me, but I’ve never had it before so I don’t have anything to really judge it by.

We're not supposed to judge books by their covers, but just curious, what are your favorite label designs of all time?

For me, I'd go for Ohmine because they're recognizable from a minimalist icon with no text.

Honorable mention goes to Niida Honke because the label looks handwritten, uses minimal paper, and fits with their all-natural concept.

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 🍶

This caught my eye at a Specs in TX and I tried to look up information about it without much success. Does anyone have any knowledge about it?

I’m always curious about new imports in the States, but it seems like labeling is making it more difficult to actually educate yourself about what’s coming in.

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. 🍶

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 😂

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 🍶

The first image is the Junmai Daiginjo Navy Blue. Second one is Yamada-Nishiki Junmai Dai-Ginjo. Can anyone who's tried both of these comment on the differences? I can find the Navy Blue locally but not the Yamada Nishiki. I am curious about it and wondering if it's worth tracking down. Thanks.

I’m so happy that I was able to find and buy many bottles of good sake on my recent trip to Tokyo. Some are very rare and hard to find! I packed them up in a box and checked it as a piece of luggage. Because it’s summer, I packed many ice pads and wrapped the box with insulation. They were still cold when I got home in 🇺🇸
In the next a few months I will slowly open them one by one and get more sake notes

The yogurt beverage yakult has been one of my favorite weird drinks since I was a kid and now I find this soju….

Emphatically digging this flavor. It’s so familiar and the yogurt notes kinda just ride on top of the soju base.

Also first time trying this sparkling sake thing. Not too impressed. Had a fine time sharing this all with my mom, and we started playing Portal 2 co-op. A fine enough Sunday for us. Kanpai!