Sake Taste Test

In blogging about the sake I have every Tuesday night, I realized that there is more to tasting sake than just enjoying its warmth and the nice food pairing that usually accompanies a bottle of sake.

Sake, like wine or beer, can be crafted by the brewer to change its essence.  I found a sake tasting guide online and armed with three different bottles of sake, and a nice sake beef stew (you must eat while tasting, otherwise your tasting notes won't make any sense the next morning!) set aside an evening to try my tongue at this subtle spirit.

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Sake #1:  Sato No Homare:  Pride of the Village, a Junmai Ginjo Sake from Ibaraki

FRAGRANCE:  A clear sake with a fruity aroma.  Really ripe bananas.  A bit sour.
PALATE:  Pretty intense impact.  Not immediate though.  Coats the roof of your mouth and throat.  Sweet, soft, full-bodied.  Fresh and tropical.
FINISH:  Pleasant, sweet finish that warms the throat.


Sake #2:  Tantake Kuni:  Hawk in the Heavens, a Junmai Sake from Tochigi

FRAGRANCE:  Clear sake with a floral aroma.  Fresh smelling.
PALATE:  Much drier than the last sake tasted.  Good.  I really like this one (as a drinker of red wines and scotches, this is much more up my alley).   Soft, slow taste that opens up.  Fresh.  Earthy.
FINISH:  Almost nothing - it is gone.  Just a slight sweetness at the end.


Sake #3:  Tozai Nigori: Snow Maiden, a Junmai Sake from Kyoto

FRAGRANCE:   A cloudy sake which has a tart and fruity aroma.
PALATE:  Fruity.  Melon-like.  Sweet, but not as sweet as the first one.  Whoa.  Also mushrooms.  Melon and mushrooms.  How's THAT for a combination?!
FINISH:  Slightly lingering.  A little sweet with an earthiness as well.  I like this one, though on my first tasting, I wasn't thrilled by it.

Wow.  There is quite a bit of subtlety to sake that I wasn't aware of, having always had it hot and cheap.  ;)  The Pride of the Village and Tozai were each around $10 and the Tentaka Kuni was about $14.  For a very drinkable sake that has the dryness that I'm used to in alcohol, I'm going to remember the Tentaka Kuni.  For something much more summery, I like the Tozai.  

Kanpai!