tknx
Slightly chilled
Cherry on the nose. Flavor is slightly bitter, almost like an orange liqueur. I feel like this would work well with very fatty foods.
67/100 - average. But could pair well with the right things which would level it up.
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tknxTimeline
tknx
Room temp
Well integrated cedar flavors with a bit of roughness on the tongue that enhances that “woody” vibe. Overripe green apple initially gives way to nutmeg astringency.
75/100
Warmed
Really makes the apple flavors come forward with almost a cinnamon overlay, like a Christmas warm drink. The cedar retreats to the background but is there…
80/100
tknx
Chilled
Dry all the way through. Honeydew at the start and fades to banana esters with more acidity in the tail end than the front. Thick mouthfeel but not too much bite given the alcohol
75/100 - Above Average
tknx
Chilled
Slight initial sweetness but dry overall with a nice ripe apple flavor. Acidity cuts through food well.
8/10
tknx
Chilled
Strong cantaloupe taste right off the bat.
Rice and alcohol follows immediately after with a long sweet apple finish.
tknx
Chilled
Strong honeydew initial taste with a quick astringency afterwards with some mild acetone notes (not offensively so)
Texture is a smooth and just slightly thick.
65/100
tknx
Room temperature
A relatively dry nose which belies the relatively rich initial rounded taste reminiscent of caramel banana and rice.
The initial richness vanishes quickly with a lingering feel of melon down the middle of your tongue.
Will try chilled next.
75/100 - above average
tknx
Chilled
Dry nose with some esters. Maybe slight banana
Flavor is really rice if you can think about terroir of rice I feel like this would be a good vehicle for it.
75/100 above average.
tknx
Chilled
Acidic on the nose and maybe a bit too astringent
First flavors are sugarcane, almost characterless. Immediately after a bit of melon.
tknx
Chilled
On the nose it is like a bitter cucumber that spoiled a bit and became a bit sickly sweet. And it continues to the taste which has sweetness and a bit of an unpleasant bitterness at the same time.
The finish just continues to fade.
The mouthfeel is pleasant with a little bit of fine fizz.
Overall I am not a huge fan.
(50/100)
IchinokuraHimezen
tknx
Chilled
Strong ume flavors and a bit of a wine sour but not distasteful note although the low alcohol counters that a bit. Not much change in aftertaste.
Chilled over ice with soda water
Now it takes on a Lillet like characteristic. The ume mellows and a bit more lime like citrus comes forth.
Overall an interesting profile but maybe could use some more work to emphasize its idiosyncrasies. (65/100)
tknx
Room temp
Sparkling and nigori. My least favorite types of sake combined. That being said, it isn’t absolutely terrible.
On the nose it is apples. Mouthfeel is rough from the light carbonation and the nigori texture comes out after that with a slight graininess. Initial flavor is strongly cantaloupe, almost too strong, which gives way to a somewhat unpleasant bitterness that lingers.
35/100 for me. But this is completely because it is a style I really don’t like.
tknx
Chilled
On the nose, a bit acerbic and very dry.
But drinking it is a different story. Apples just slightly brown and very sweet. Dry. A floral taste emerges at the end, almost rose like. Amazing acidity.
This is one that goes with everything. And is delicious.
95/100
tknx
Chilled
Gentle mango notes on the nose with cantaloupe taking over and a bit of a strong finish on the tongue.
85/100
tknx
Somewhat chilled.
A bit of banana aroma on the nose. Initial flavor has a touch of vanilla and transitions to a strong but lovely minerality. As it warms up the flavor evolves to be a bit more sophisticated.
A 8/10
tknx
Chilled at a restaurant
On the nose pear and dry melon scents
Mouthfeel is rough and almost sandpapery. Strawberry initially and then mellows into a long lingering fade of honeydew and apples.
tknx
Chilled
A pleasant sweet sake with relatively normal melon flavors and a slightly thicker mouth feel. Works great with sushi
tknx
Chilled
Smells like spring rain on leaves, strong sense of the rice on the tongue with just a slight roughness of texture. Some mushroom notes on the finish.
Pleasant but I am not sure it would stand up to more aggressive foods.
tknx
Chilled
Watermelon on the nose, but the taste dives strong into a thick, viscous cantaloupe flavor with mild rough carbonation. The cantaloupe gives way to a bracing bitterness that has marshmallow and herbaceous qualities in equal measure before giving way to an almost cola like finish.
Very high in alcohol (17%) and I think weaker for it.
5/10.
tknx
Chilled
Den sake continues to impress. Nose of strawberry, initial taste of pear and honeydew. This gives way quickly to a bit of biting bitterness before leaving a long taste of watermelon that gives way to the final acidity notes.
It is only milled to 90% so that may be what gives it the many different notes. While they complement one another well enough, I’d say it is missing that final but of integration.
Whatever Yoshihiro-san is doing, he should keep right on doing.
9/10