Where the Wild Yeasts Are [1 Koku - 63]

"The Crane of Kasumi" focuses on Kimoto and Yamahai sake (although, my first encounter with these guys was actually their Shiboritate Nama Genshu). I was hoping this would be a straight up comparison of the two styles, but with two different rice, one ginjo, one not... not so direct, but no matter.

Kasumi Tsuru Kimoto Extra Dry - I believe this is a honjozo, which, at 17.5% abv, would make sense. Gohyakumangoku rice milled to 65%, SMV +5, acidity 1.1. Nose is light, clean, melon, pepper, lightly floral, grass. On the attack, caramel, minerally, anise, mushroom, smoke, but still pretty clean... the flavours seem to disappear over the mid-palate, but there's quite a lot of "presence" on the back end, very dry... the alcohol peeks, but not very heaty. Teensy bit of acidic prickle on the finish.

Kasumi Tsuru Yamahai Ginjo - Yamada Nishiki milled to 55%, SMV +3, acidity 1.4., 15% abv. Slighty more floral nose than the Kimoto, definitely less sweet and fruity... dare I say a cleaner nose. Rich, round, some sweetness, a bit of funk on a raft of mineral water, but not as earthy as the Tengumai Yamahai from mid-summer by any stretch... clean, yet with good savoury character. Sweeter, rounder, fuller than the Kimoto. I'm prefering the Yamahai (although, let's see... $40 for the Yamahai in a 720 versus about $50 for the Kimoto in the isshobin... for a value Yamahai, the Tengumai wins hands down...$50 for the big bottle).