Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
1.8 liter bottle from Takimoto. Clear, thick. Rich rice nose, fruity, peach, apple, just a touch of yogurt. Nice acidity although the funky yamahai aspect is a bit mediated by the unpasteurized freshness. Very drinkable and nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
720 ml bottle from Hanshin Dept. store. Spicy ginjo-ka nose with peaches and apples. Surprisingly a light yellow tint to it. Sweet and very fruity and spicy. Not quite as full-on in rice and body as the junmai version but lighter and a bit more ethereal and still great.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
720 ml bottle. Huge daigin nose! Pears, apples, spices, cedar, rice, citrus. Brilliant. Icy, oily, clear. Sweet, fruity, spicy. Citrus, pear, apricot. Peppery, prickly finish. Full body. Lovely. Huge nose and the rest lives up to it.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 8
Glass at yard house hope the folks who rate the futsu didn’t have this by mistake since we know this place isn’t best for clarity. Anyways fine clear pour. Nose is nutty and booze. Tastes nutty, earthy, light melon, and hooch. Firm bodied.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
720 ml bottle. Quite fruity nose, peaches, lemon, only light yamahai acidity. Clear, oily. Lots of citrs fruit, ginjo-ka, surprisingly, acid but light and not lactic. Smooth, silky. Medium body. Low yamahai character, but still nice.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
Glass at the yard house....clear... Soft dry.. Open alcohol... Light floral rice nose... Soft sweet rice... Floral fruits.. Light alcohol... Light sweet floral fruits.. Tiny coconut linger
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Glass, 12 years old, at Asano. Thin, light gold color, oily. Nose of rice pudding and sherry. Dry sherry-like flavor, lots of honey, rice pudding. Light, crisp, very mead-like actually. Interesting stuff.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Glass at Seiyo, 9/14/15.
Clear liquid, with a very light beige tint.
Nutty, not overly perfumey nose suggests some earthier notes, cellar mustiness perhaps as well as very light vanilla and cream. Really characterful, though, with heavy koji and light alcohol notes coming together.
Some alcohol up front gives way to rice sugar and trace floral notes, though predominantly a creamy, rich, nuttiness with almond, light pineapple and more mustiness. Quite good and as usual, my powers of description are very limited when it comes to sake.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle. Yellowish tint. Nose and flavor is stone fruit, rice, light citrus and light tropical, with thick, rich body and thick rice flavor. Great stuff, rich and somewhat aged, but also high aromas.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
700ml bottle. Sharply acidic nose, very fruity, orange, grapefruit, koji, rice, light cedar and spice. Shiny and clear, a bit icy. Crisp, sharp flavor, good acidity and fruit, light cream. Very light and crisp for a yamahai junmai. Very delicious. Lightness makes it seem more like a more refined ginjo.