A delightful day out exploring the fascinating history of sake in Nada. - As a rare English speaking sake brewer Andrew was wonderful company, generous with his time and knowledge and he answered all our questions with patience and enthusiasm. We loved getting a sense of the skill and craftmanship that goes into making sake and barrels, and of course trying a few!

A must-do Nada sake tour (West).! - Spent the day on the Nada Tour West (Kobe) with Andrew. A trip to Japan’s most famous brewing region wouldn’t be complete without a guided tour by an experienced sake brewer who works for one of the breweries in the area. You will gain insights on the history of breweries like Sakura Masamune, Kiku Masamune, Haku Masamune, the significance of key buildings, mountains, and the natural phenomena that made this location so popular for sake brewing, onsite! Get to see the first water rice polishing machine and cedar barrel factory was really bonus. Whether you are new to sake, an experienced sake drinker, sake sommelier, or just in the area for sightseeing, Andrew’s knowledge and sharing would certainly make your trip a fruitful one.

Unique sake tour by a sake brewer guide - For our first time in Japan we didn't want to miss on experimenting sake. I was looking for a tour that would teach us how to appreciate the beverage but as well give us an introduction into the brewing process and the culture around sake. Andrew's tour across the renowned Nada's five village allowed us to discover some of the most iconic breweries in Japan, viewing their cask making workshop, historical exhibits about brewing as well as tasting their sake. The final stop at a sake bar installed in a former brewery was a great opportunity to sample some more sake in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. On top of being super friendly and passionate about sake, Andrew, being a sake brewer himself, has a deep expertise and unique insights on how breweries operate. We had an amazing experience and we are thankful to Andrew for taking the time to guide us and share his knowledge and passion with us. If you are travelling to Nada, this is a tour you definitely want to book!

Sake Tour in Kobe - Fantastic day of sake! I booked a tour of Nada for me and my husband who has recently taken an interest in sake. After an amazing afternoon exploring Kobe with Andrew we are both sake converts! We started with a pleasant stroll past some of Japan’s biggest breweries, saw sake barrels being made, and got to taste lots of different kinds of sake throughout the afternoon. We even walked past the brewery where our guide makes sake in winter! The highlight for both of us was definitely the Nada Sake Tokoro. It's a former sake brewery, and they still have tanks and stuff next to where you drink. We got to taste three amazing local sake which Andrew selected for us. An experience we wont forgot.

Wonderful sake experience in Kobe - Amazing day of sake! I was one of the first people to take this new tour of the famous Nada brewing district. My guide, Andrew, is a sake brewer at one of the local breweries and was able to explain lots of insider info about the region. We visited two regions, Uozaki and Mikage, and went to three different breweries during the afternoon. We also tasted sake at each place we visited (my favourite was the barrel-aged sake) and learnt a lot about sake brewing. I am not a big fan of long walks, but the pacing was just right. The whole tour lasts about 4 hours, but there are plenty of stops along the way. At our last stop, we got to taste three different types of sake, which Andrew explained to me as we drank. The venue is incredible, and you can see the brewing tanks from where you drink. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning about sake.

An absolute gem - We came to Japan for the cherry blossom but unfortunately weren't favoured by the weather gods - Kyoto was snowing on the day of our arrival and continued to rain in the coming days, so we decided to try some different activities. We took the Nada Tour West and visited Kikumasamune and reached out to the host for a sake tasting session. Andrew, our host, being the first ever non-japanese to be admitted into the sake-making industry, clearly knows his stuff. Coupled with him being Scottish (oh aye) got a great chat and we had an absolute blast. By the time when the rain stopped we all got decently tipsy and ready to venture out for the second part of the evening - one of the best decision we've made. Hh yeah, the sake was amazing!

This guy knows Nada, and so will you - the history, significance and quality of Nada sake - Andy has been brewing sake for years in Japan, the last two of which have been in the most significant sake-brewing neighborhood in Japan, Nada. It sits half in Kobe and half in next-door Nishinomiya, and has been the de fact center of sake brewing for over 200 years. Andy has stepped into significant roles in his brewery, and knows more about the local sake industry, it's people, and the breweries themselves than just about anyone. He will lead you through several breweries and their sake, and you will have a new level of understanding and appreciation for sake when by the time you wrap up the tour. Not to be missed if you enjoy sake!

Fascinating tour by a very knowledgeable guide. - For a while I have been thinking about learning more about Sake. My in-law's often want to share their sake with me at family gatherings but I often perceived it as too sweet for my taste. I am a fan of craft beer and single malt whisky so I understood that there is certainly a broad range of flavours within Sake, but had no idea where to start to understand the diversity. As I was travelling to Kobe, I took the opportunity to sign up to this tour and I am glad that I did. The guide, Andrew's knowledge of the history of the area and the different breweries, their unique brewing techniques and the resultant sake varieties was excellent. No matter how hard I tried, and I tried, I couldn't find a relevant question which Andrew was unable to answer. I learned a great deal and enjoyed visiting the various brewery sites and was very surprised to hear that some of the breweries have their own wood workshops where they design and make many of the tools and equipment used throughout the various stages of their traditional brewing process. Andrew's advice when it came to choosing a sake to drink that wouldn't be so sweet was also very helpful, and that the sake came from the very brewery where he works was, I am sure, purely coincidental! All-in-all, I enjoyed this tour and appreciated learning about Nada and its sake history from a professional brewer who truly understood what he was talking about.