The Seven Spearsmen is a stately and sturdy nama that distinguishes its beauty more through its balance, structure, and subtlety, rather than pyrotechnic aromatics and juicy bombast of other namas. This isn't to say that it is a light and airy sake. Seven Spearsmen is produced in the vein of a classic Junmai profile: rice-driven, with a hint of umami. I appreciate restraint in namas. It's the restrained ones like this that really make me want to open another bottle as soon as the first one is finished.

On the nose, Shichi Hon Yari Nama gives faint aromas of grass, green bananas, and aloe. On the palate, this sake shows bitter almond layered with melon rind, peach, grilled rice, chrysanthemum tea, and just a hint of meaty umami. My favorite part of Seven Spearsmen Nama is the texture: a pronounced acid tingles the sides of the tongue with each sip, followed by a fine grained astringency that washes the finish clean. 

I would adore to drink this with fried rice, spicy curry, fruit salad, or shrimp coctail. 

Spring Nama is a special thing. It's only ever available in limited quantities and released just once a year - when sake brewing finishes up, as a celebration of the end of the brewing season. These special spring sake are raw and unpasteurized, unlike most sake that normally get two pasteurizations. These sake in this raw state are full of active enzymes, which add life, texture, flavor and aroma. However these active enzymes also mean that the sake should stay cool. Keep it in your fridge at home until you drink it!