When opened, it had a steamed koji aroma and mushroominess, so I drank half a bottle and put it back in the fridge for a few days to see how it went. As the days went by, the aroma that bothered me faded, did it volatilize with the alcohol?
As it got acclimated, the richness and umami could be felt more. I liked the clean apple taste with high acidity 😚.
Perhaps it was my preconceived notion of hiyaoroshi, but it seemed softer than the south one I had previously tasted. The aroma is subdued, and the umami and dryness are also subdued. That's why it goes on and on when drunk with a meal. It was delicious. I drank twice as much as usual.