Hakutsuru (White Crane) Sayuri Nigori Sake

Bottle sample at RBSG 2010 shared by Kyoto lefty from backlog notes. Pours a cloudy whitish color. The aroma and flavor had sweet bread, vanilla, hints of apples, wood, some alcohol, decent.

Bottle shared at the Leighton tasting 08/06/2017. Many thanks to Paul for this one. A milky cummy greyish white. Aroma is alcohol, rice, paint thinner, hint of pear. Flavour is composed of tangy pithy rice, floral notes, paint, hot alcohol. Pithy. Palate is bitty, harsh, solvent. I don’t like it.

Bottle shared in London - thanks to Paul. Pours cummy white. The nose has some vanilla, white bread, pale bread. Medium sweet flavour with more vanilla notes, polished white rice, mellow alcohol. Medium bodied. Fairly sweet on the finish, vanilla, more simple pale bread, a light chalky note. Good nigori.

Bottle split at Hackney Levels, thanks to Bropey, 08/06/17. Spunky off white no head. Nose is sweet, rice pudding, light spice, grains. Taste comprises peach, water chestnut, vanilla, blemonge, sweet licks. Medium + bodied, moderate carboantion, light boost in the close. Ok.

Bottle share at Leighton’s pad. Thanks to Scopey. Pours milky white. Aroma is lychee, rice and a little booze. Taste is rice, lychee and a little booze. Nice and smooth. Not bad

Bottle from Japan Centre London. Served chilled and shaken. It pours opaque white, kind of like bull milk... The aroma is quite soft, milky, creamy, definite rice vibe, floral, custard cream, strawberry and alcohol. The taste is smooth, drying upfront, creamy, sweet, mini milk, floral, rice, touch of raw alcohol, touch of berry yoghurt, chalky, tums and tannin. Finish is drying a bit chalky. Medium body and slightly chalky/grainy mouth - feel. It is certainly characterful. Chalky aspect is a bit off-putting after a while. Interesting stuff anyhow.

Bottle - Creamy light sweetness, almost strawberry. Cloudy white. Sweet and creamy with a light yeast and rice notes.

Glass at Peter Chang’s. Pretty milky white. Smell is almost grapes and lightly floral- not as boozy as some sakes. Mild flavor. Pleasant.

Pours milky white with lots of fine sediment. Aroma is very mild. Taste is slightly sweet with a warming alcohol finish. There is a mild floral, mint and rice notes. The rice sediment lends a creamy smoothness. Very good, much smoother than cheaper filtered sake.

Flasche (300 ml) aus dem Sunrise Supermarket, Pyongyang (1.480 KPW). - Weißlich, schön milchig trüb. - Matter Duft nach süßlichem gedämpfem Reis, Blüten und Pfirsich. - Im Geschmack mild, rund und weich mit zarter fruchtiger Herbe, aber etwas matt bzw. mehlig. - Reißt mich nicht vom Hocker.