Naraman Junmai Daiginjo "Assemblage" 2025

The nose on this masterpiece of aging and blending sake is a fantastic collection of almond, lemon tea, crushed leaves, soy sauce, sourdough bread, grains, miso, ocean mist, and white pepper aromas. This is more than a sake; it’s a story that is seven years of aging in the making. But it doesn’t drink like any old koshu (aged sake) as it was blended each year and stored at low temperatures to get that perfect balance of flavor and feeling! And Naraman knocked it out of the park. Smooth, slippery, layered, rich-light, velvety, off-sweet, solid, and so well balanced, this Assemblage drinks more like a premium Daiginjo than a heavy koshu sake. And talk about drinkable complexity! Look for honey roasted cashews, maple syrup, French toast, marshmallow, butter mushrooms, sweet miso, unagi sauce, toasted rice, and honeycomb with a healthy umami blast. It’s hard to say it out loud, but this is “an elegant flavor bomb.” There we said it! WORD: Assemblage WINE: Fat Pinot Noir/Round Rich Whites BEER: Creamy Belgians FOODS: Simply everything! The higher the price point of the cuisine, the better.