Hakutsuru Superior Junmai Ginjō Sake

Rating: 15/23 I liked the Hakutsuru Junmai Daiginjo pretty well, so I figured I'd try this since it's a third cheaper and I read someone saying it was good with sushi. N: Melon with some nice complexity. The faintest banana. It's fruity, but restrained with some clean water and complexity. P: Sweet yet dry, with that nice melon coming through and then giving way to sweet rice. There's lots of clean water and at times a little spice. It's very smooth with no off-notes or excess alcohol flavor. I concur that this pairs very well with sushi. F: Forgot to take notes on this apparently. I remember it being pretty light and smooth, with a little lingering melon and perhaps other flavors. - Conclusion - This is a really solid sake. It's super drinkable, though not all that exciting, I suppose, though there is moderate complexity along the standard lines for a junmai sake. I'm looking at a 14 or 15 for this and leaning toward a 15. The difference in quality between this and the Daiginjo is really not that large. After more contemplation, I'm quite comfortable giving this a 15. I wish I had the Daiginjo to compare side by side, but I don't recall the Daiginjo being particularly better. In fact, this being less polished might have left it with more character, making it even better. I can contemplate a 16 for this, though I'm sticking with the 15.

Smooth and slightly floral. Slight aftertaste.