“L: Clear, very slightly yellow
S: Umami. Deep rice. Slight cheese. Clean mushroom. Nutty. Fennel
T: Follows the nose - fennel, deep/rich rice, umami, nutty, mushroom, slight pear
F: Slight alcohol note (expected at 18.5%)
O: Enjoyed this one, but less than others (e.g., fruity varieties vs umami)”
“We opened the Narutotai “Ginjo” Nama Genshu on a quiet night in Santa Barbara, staying in a weathered little house just a block off the ocean. H had seared scallops she picked up from the harbor that morning, serving them with a simple yuzu kosho butter and grilled young leeks. Clean and bright, with just enough heat to keep things interesting.
The Narutotai poured with that unmistakable shimmer you get from a well-made genshu—unfiltered strength, but polished. First sip: weighty, almost velvety, and immediately gave that sense of something more luxurious, like slipping into a tailored jacket lined with silk. We both noted how it tasted expensive, if that makes sense—the precision, the balance, the quiet confidence of it.
And yet. We liked it. A lot. But as we worked our way through the meal, we found ourselves not reaching for it as often as we expected. The mouthfeel was impeccable, but maybe it was too smooth, too restrained in its complexity. It didn’t quite spark that reckless, eager pull for another pour the way the Bull Rider did. We’ll remember it as excellent, no doubt. But by the end of the night, we left the last third of the bottle in the ice bucket, untouched.
Sometimes, respect doesn’t translate to love.”
