Nominated for a James Beard Award in its first year and second year, Den Sake Brewery is just around the corner from us in Oakland, so we receive the freshest brew possible. We are proud to carry our hometown sake!

Batch 17 is unique because Toji Yoshi Sako let this sake age in cold storage for around three months before officially releasing it to stores and restaurants. The result is a smoother, mellower, and more complex Den sake expression, with all the citrus and vibrancy you'd expect from mature white koji Den releases, but with a more unified, balanced structure overall.

Sako's attention to detail and skilled use of koji and yeast yields sakes that can be enjoyed cup after cup, balancing fresh fruitiness, acidity, and umami – all with a clean crisp ending.

The seed for the idea to start Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, CA was planted in 2015, when Yoshi Sako started to theorize on how he could make sake himself. A bartender and accomplished sake sommelier for years, Sako stated that, "[... in order] to complete my desire to know more about sake, I knew I had to get fully into it – that meant brewing it, not just drinking it."

Even with all the limitations he faces as a brewer in the United States, Sako's sake exhibits the delicate and refined qualities that you would find in a Japanese sake. His attention to detail and skilled use of koji and yeast yields sakes that can be enjoyed cup after cup, balancing fresh fruitiness, acidity, and umami – all with a clean crisp ending.

Read about our visit to Den Sake Brewery on our blog!

Features: 

Brewed in Oakland, California by Den Sake Brewery

Junmai nama nama orizake 

Seimaibuai (rice kernel remaining): Calihikari 70%

ABV 16.7%

17 fl oz (500ml)