Hitorimusume (Only Daughter) Sayaka Junmai Sake

Brewed by Yamanaka Shuzo Co., Ltd.
Style: Junmai
IBARAKA Prefecture, Japan

Bottled. Clear and very pale golden. Yeasty rice-aroma. Stale. Flavour from yeast with stron alcohol. Oily palate.

Bottle (30 cl), at a Göteborg RB tasting. Clear pale golden. Alcoholic aroma with notes of banana, pears, and some oily notes. Very smooth mouthfeel.

(300 ml bottle, thanks rigk!) Oily pear color, pretty much clear. Butter, pear, wood, alcohol scent. Pear, hazel nut and alcohol taste. Warming alcohol. Alcohol and nutty aftertaste.

Honestly, I have no idea how to rate this. Bottle. Totally clear, no head at all. Potato and rice aroma, with alcohol. Some apples in flavor, but most of all alcohol, rice and potato peels. I have no idea how this is supposed to be, and I dont feel like trying many sakes after this...

Bottle. Aroma is rice, wet cardboard. Flavour is rice, alcohol, mild, wet card board. Weird taste but still drinkable.

Bottle. My second time ever to taste sake. This is really not enough experience to rate this, but you got to start somewhere. The body is pale and clear, I really can’t see anything wrong with this, but believe I should try to follow the more experienced rater and go for the more average 3-point appearance. The aroma is strong; the first impression really reminds me about a bad moonshine experiment from the deep, dark woods of Norway. A little more detailed analysis of this is a distinctive alcohol flavor, alcohol with fusel. It could also give a feeling of sweet overcooked rice and old, wet, moldy newspapers. Flavor gives much the same impression as the aroma. Not a very pleasant experience but interesting. I really don’t know what you are expected to eat together with this, but we tried with some salmon, and the sake actually tasted better. Have to sample some other sakes later, particularly together with someone more experienced.

300 ml bottle. Crystal clear. Aroma of pears, melon, light yeastiness and some sweet tapioca. A hint of soft spice and perfumey floral notes. Heathery sweetness. Soft texture with pear, melon and pepper flavour. Lightly alcoholic but still balanced and smooth. Tapioca and fruit with an aromatic light fruitiness.

Bottled. I am not a sake fan, but when I got the opportunity to taste this one, I had to give it a try. Aroma is sweet, with notes that reminds me of cold, overcooked rice, and wet cardboard. It is clear, and with a yellowish color. Flavour has alcohol, rice and some hints of fruit. Should probably taste more sakes and really get to like it before starting to rate them... (051022)