“Pronounced, intensive, long finish…”—this is not the way we describe good quality sake. What we are using is “light,” “subtle,” “clean,” “pure,” and it sounds like we are talking about water. It is not that far off. You never expect sake’s aroma to be like what you smell in a garden of thousands of flowers or a fruit plate with lots of different fruits. The best sake is just like a breeze in the orchard, or spring in the mountains, or the scent of paddy fields in autumn. By nature, sake is one important part of Japanese culture, the same as art and food. Tranquil, elegant, light but tasteful, you can touch the essence of this country when drinking them.
