Yamahai
Kimoto without the pole-ramming: natural lactic acid, wild-leaning, rich and tangy.
- Typical US price, 720 ml
- $50 median
- Bottles at Tippsy
- 18
- Brands using it
- 11
Yamahai (山廃) is short for “yama-oroshi haishi”, abandoning the pole-ramming. Researchers found in the early 1900s that the step could be skipped and the starter would still work. Like kimoto, it relies on natural lactic acid bacteria and takes about a month.
Yamahai sake tends to be bold, gamey or nutty, with high acidity. Try it at room temperature or warm.
Yamahai bottles you can buy in the US.
In stock at Tippsy, best-rated brands first.
Prices and bottle counts come from Tippsy's catalog on October 28, 2026. Sake 47 may earn a commission when you buy through these links. It never affects flavor data or rankings.
Other styles
Flavor profiles and rankings: Sakenowa (さけのわ) open data, built from drinkers' check-ins in Japan.