Fuku Chitose Junmai Ginjo Yamahai (2021 vtg)

The distributor marked this down (at their own peril), but the illustrious Eli Nygren swooped in and shared a bottle of this unintentionally cold-aged yamahai, only for us to declare: this is the feel-good, price-good hit of the FW24 season!

I may go on about sake freshness from time to time, ensuring you only buy fresh bottles is a rule of thumb for the inexperienced-- not a universal rule. In 2023, we got lucky with a case of 2021 Shichida Yamahai that slapped like no one's business, so we shared the wealth, pricing it down and pouring through it at Oden-- and everyone was merry. This year, we're lucky to have two cases of 2021 Fuku Chitose Junmai Ginjo Yamahai, gem of Fukui, caramel-colored and buttery-good, perfect for oden and cold weather body warmin'. These big-boned yamahais, stored well and in the cool and dark, sure do great things over time. For the wine lovers out there, it's a bit like adding 5-7 years on a white burgundy. Nutty, toasty, nice. My suggestion is to enjoy it with food-- it really interacts best with other flavors as a compliment and to balance out the umami intensity that builds with aging.

Anyway, scoop it up-- warm it up-- Discounted from a retail price of $35, it won't last for long.