Sake

Sakura Fubuki

This sake is a striking deep pink, which made me worried it would be similar to Tozai “Blossom of Peace” i.e. overwhelmingly sweet. Instead, it has a pleasant, balanced taste. You get some sakura, which is not my favorite flavor, but it’s also a very mild flavor and not at all overpowering. I hardly think this would be a go-to sake for me, but it is quite nice and frankly a lot better than I expected.

Tokubetsu Honjozo

Very strongly flavored, dry sake. Tasting notes say apricot and banana, which I did not taste whatsoever. Instead, my unrefined palate mainly tasted rice. That’s a little silly, but there is a purity of taste to this sake where it tastes like, well, sake. The after-taste is also very dry. Because the flavor is so intense, this is definitely a sake to be paired with food. While a lot of sake are delicately flavored and meant to be served with other delicate flavors, this is the sort of sake which pairs with bolder flavors. Think of this as a beer for pairing rather than a white wine.

Greenwood Kimoto

Pretty sure I did not actually drink Greenwood Kimoto. That is what I ordered, but on the receipt there was “BYx Yamahai”, a different sake from the same brand. And the taste matched the tasting notes of “Number Fourteen”, yet another sake from the brand. The TLDR is I think the sake menu at Momofuku Ssam is extremely confused. Regardless, I was extremely impressed by whatever it was I drank. The US sake brand I am most familiar with is Momokawa, which I am not a big fan of. On the other hand, this was great. Slightly sweet, slightly fruity, with a really nice crisp taste; it reminded me of a subtle apple flavor. This sake was very well balanced which makes me think it would be very versatile.

Joy

Meh. Initial taste is a bit of melon/pear but then the taste is kinda nothing and there’s a overly crisp/ slightly harsh aftertaste. It is “easy drinking” but sometimes that is a polite way to say “bland”, and overall it’s just not interesting enough for me to be that into.

The Green One

Yes, that is the actual name of this sake and I am… not a fan. Initially there’s a nice pear note (tasting notes say plum which I can also see). My problem is the aftertaste. It’s way too dry for my liking. The sake supposedly “finishes with crisp acidity” but it’s just not that crisp; I just got acidity. Maybe if the initial notes were sweeter this would be a good contrast, but the first taste is fruity but not particularly sweet. It makes the aftertaste just not work for me.

Senju Ginjo

Really well-balanced sake. It’s definitely sweeter than most wines, but not so sweet that it is overpowering or cloying. It’s also not fruity at all. The manufacturer advertises it as “a versatile ginjo that pairs well with a variety of foods”, which I certainly agree with. Quite smooth, classic flavor — I think this is a great beginner sake or sake to pull out with a mix of food pairings.

Chrysanthemum Mist

Light, slightly sweet sake. It’s very well balanced and I think would go well with all sorts of foods. The milder flavor might get overpowered by stronger flavors, but this is a great choice for a sake that isn’t fruity but also doesn’t have any harsher rice flavors. Online, people compare it to citrus and gin which I can see — an understated but very tasty sake.

Funaguchi Aged Red

Incredibly rich. This tastes like honey and the mouthfeel is thicker(?) than other sake. Usually those feel like you are drinking water, but the red funaguchi definitely has a richer feeling. There’s more bite than the black can, but it’s still fairly subtle. I like it, but I’m not sure what this pairs with. It’s too intense to have on its own, and the richness would go well with strongly flavored food — but it’s sweeter than I think I would want for most rich foods. I don’t think this would work well in a cocktail either. So it’s good, but I’m not sure when I would want it again.

Funaguchi Kunkou Black

This is a really nice, rich-tasting sake. It’s got some sweetness but it’s subtle. There’s also a bit of alcohol bite because this sake is 19% ABV(!) The alcohol isn’t that noticeable so this is totally dangerous because it tastes much less alcoholic than it is, especially with food. The black can, “premium” version of the funaguchi is supposed to have a milder taste that kikusui’s other variants. I thought this was at a good level of intensity for me, so I am curious how strong the more assertive variants will be like.

Pearls of Simplicity

Well this certainly lives up to its name because it exemplifies a delicate, simple taste. Very very clean, pure flavor. It almost tastes like water with a sake aftertaste. Definitely pair with subtle flavors like whitefish or something. While this tastes fine, I really prefer more strongly flavored sake. This was too subtle for me.

Yuki Tora

This is an extremely creamy nigori. It’s sweet, but not as sweet as some, with a noticeable alcohol bite. The bite is not at all fruity however. It’s more of a rich taste. I like this more than other Momokawa offerings I’ve had in the past, but I’m not sure what I would pair this with. Tasting notes list honey, condensed milk, cinnamon, horchata, crème brûlée, and banana bread. I don’t know what pairs well with those flavors — maybe dessert, but this is not sweet enough to be a dessert sake.

Snow Angel

Nigori sake tends to be sweet and creamy and this is the ultimate nigori. Rich, sweet and insanely creamy. It is quite one-note — you’re not looking for subtle flavors here — and I don’t know how often I would go for this. But I respect a sake that knows its lane and goes for it full-throttle.

Dreamy Clouds

This is a nigori but it doesn’t taste like a nigori. Instead of the usual creaminess, it’s shockingly smooth and clean, with a more acidic aftertaste. It definitely tastes good, but I’m not sure I would go for this all too often. If I want a nigori I’ll get a richer, creamier nigori. And if I want a more clean, crisp-tasting sake, Dreamy Clouds is good but I would go for a standard junmai.

Pure Dusk

Often when a sake lists melon as the dominant tasting note I find that it tastes like generic sweetness. Pure Dusk actually tastes like melon. The tasting notes list apple, melon, orange, and pear which makes sense because this is an extremely fruity tasting sake. For me, it’s a bit too fruity and sweet for most situations, but if you want a sweeter sake that tastes like a fruit salad this is a good choice.

Pure Snow

Kinda unremarkable nigori. Nice creaminess, not too sweet, pleasant rice flavor. I know that sounds dumb but I think of slightly sweet rice when I taste this. It’s also very smooth, which is nice. Not my favorite nigori, but a safe one that I expect most people will like.

Mio

Suuuuuper sweet carbonated sake. Very much like champagne or a celebratory drink. You should be drinking a little bit of this out of a flute rather than drinking a normal amount with a meal. Very fruity, especially for sake. I think the closest taste would be melon (the tasting notes are grape/pear which makes sense). Definitely a sake to have on its own as a toast or something. This is apparently the #1 selling sparkling sake in the world, and I can see why: It’s absolutely delicious. This stuff is awesome and if you like champagne you have to try this because it blows champagne out of the water.

Premium Ginjo Sake

This wins the “most boring name ever” award and the bottle matches — a clear bottle with an image of a flower zzzz. The taste isn’t much more interesting. Very sweet and fruity sake initially, with a sharper bite of the aftertaste. The sweetness is a bit one-note for me. Supposedly this has notes of pear, melon, honeysuckle, custard, and nutmeg which uhhhh that is a lot of different flavors and all I really taste is “sweet”.

Rei

Kinda plain, sweet sake. It’s a bit too sweet for my taste, almost a bit syrupy. The goal of the sake appears to be “smoothness” — or at least that’s what they keep mentioning in the marketing copy. It certainly meets that goal. The sake is very smooth, easy drinking. It’s just not that interesting. The sake recommends pairing with foods such as “creamy cheeses” which I guess makes sense. You’d want a food that is not too flavorful and overwhelming, but which pairs well with some mild sweetness. Also the tasting notes list “white flowers”, which is either a translation of a term that has a clearer meaning in Japanese or nonsense because I have never heard that described as a taste. I am basically saying the same thing as other Sho Chiku Bai sake which is “tastes sweet, that’s about it.”

Premium Junmai

Another sake with a boring name, a boring bottle, and an equally boring taste. It is barely sweet, but not fruity at all. There’s really not much flavor here. Tasting notes list “apple, golden raisin, steamed rice, mineral, umami, earthy” which A) is an unusually long list of tasting notes for a sake and B) I do not taste any of those. My guess is this would probably go fine with stronger tasting foods but that’s because those foods would mask the lack of flavor.

Tokubetsu Junmai (aka “Drunken Whale”)

Nice, versatile, all-around Sake. Dry but not too dry, with some noticeable but not overpowering sweetness. I think this would pair best with more subtle flavors like sushi. That said, I drank it with a bunch of grilled egg and cheese sandwiches and it was good with those too so who knows. It doesn’t taste fruity at all; the tasting notes say it has elements of fennel and rose which… sure? I guess? I don’t really taste that at all but then again, rose is not known for being a particularly strong flavor. Overall, a pleasant, refreshing, middle-of-the-road sake. This is a common recommendation for sake beginners and I echo that recommendation.

Kibo

I’m mixed on this one. This sake is more dry than I care for, with a subtle flavor. If I’m having a dry sake I want it to be crisp and refreshing, but this is more muted and not crisp at all. Tasting notes list almonds, which I didn’t taste initially but once I saw the notes that made total sense. It’s not the taste of sweet almonds, or salted almonds, it’s the taste of straight almond. It is easy-drinking, but I’m looking for more than that in a sake.

Hawk in the Heavens

Very nice, versatile sake. The main flavor I got was honey, but this is not a super sweet sake. It’s more like honey with only a bit of sweetness, which is a flavor I quite enjoy. Tasting notes list mixed nuts and “fresh cut green grass” which uhhhh what??? I guess the sake does have an “earthier” flavor but this is yet another reminder that my taste buts are apparently too basic to appreciate whatever subtleties the people who write the notes detect.

Blossom of Peace

This was my mistake. Blossom of Peace is Tozai’s plum sake, made by soaking plums in the sake for months. The plum flavor really comes through, making the sake incredibly fruity with a pleasant and unique flavor. Unfortunately it is also overwhelmingly, cloyingly sweet. I wonder if back in college, when chicken tenders and fries was a common meal and gatorade and vodka was a common drink, I would love the intense plum flavor. Now however, this is just way too sweet for me. You can feel the hangover coming when you drink this. I think the lesson I’ve learned is I just don’t like plum sake.

Living Jewel

Meh. This is a pretty clean, slightly sweet sake. It’s fine, it’s just kinda boring. The sake is described as “light and easy drinking” which is certainly true. It is supposed to pair well with subtler flavors like lobster which makes sense. I mean it’s not bad at all and I don’t think people would dislike it. But it’s just not that interesting. Tasting notes list “citrus, white pepper, and fresh herbal notes with a long, clean finish” which… I guess, but none of those flavors come through clearly to me.

Night Swim

A very pleasant surprise. It’s sweet but not too sweet, easy drinking, and has a nice fruitiness without being overwhelming. Night Swim comes in a can rather than a bottle, and I think the taste matches that casual vibe. Yeah it’s not super complex and I don’t know how well it would pair with food. But if you drink some sake while at a bar or something, this is a great choice.

Snow Maiden

Tozai is one of the most easily available sake brands in the US, and Snow Maiden is their nigori offering. It has a nice creaminess and is sweet but not cloying. I mainly got a pear flavor. The tasting notes list melon and radish, so I suppose I wasn’t too far off. This is a versatile nigori that I expect would go well with a variety of dishes or on its own. Tozai’s website specifically recommends pairing this with spicy food. I haven’t tried that, but the sweetness and creaminess should provide a pleasant contrast to spicier dishes.

Well of Wisdom

Well of Wisdom is Tozai’s most expensive sake and it is by far my favorite that they offer. It has a refreshing, clean taste with some pleasant sweetness. It’s a very smooth sake, especially for a relatively inexpensive American brand. I think this would go great with fish but I expect that it would go well with a variety of foods as long as you wanted a drink that is sweeter than most wines, but far less sweet than mead or other sweet alcoholic drinks.