Gekkeikan Honjozo "Retro"

Picked this up from the Gekkeikan Museum in Fushimi. Second time around, couldn't resist the attractive packaging. The "retro" in this bottling refers both to the packaging (made for railway commuters, with a traveller's cap/cup - the glass vessel with the metal frame in the picture above, you may have seen something similar on some beer bottles, minus the cup) and the contents inside, which apparently comes from a recipe that was popular some 80 years ago.

Smells fine, steamed rice, melon. It all goes wrong on the palate for me though - sweet up front, just plain alcohol on the back end, like a cheap vodka but only 16% abv. Just not integrated, interesting, or particularly tasty. I'll give it another go, but I think this is destined for cooking.