How to taste sake like a sommelier: A step-by-step guide

Key Takeaways:

• Tasting follows the principle: appearance, aroma (Uwadachi-ka), taste (Fukumi-ka) and finish (Kire).
• The "snake eye" (Janome) in the beaker helps to check the clarity.
• Learn terms like "kire" (clean cut) and "kuritsuki" (texture).

Drinking sake is a pleasure. Tasting sake is a journey of discovery. When you understand what to look for, even the cheapest sake suddenly tastes more exciting.

Unlike wine, where swirling and sipping are common, sake tasting (kikisake) is a bit more subtle. Here's a guide on how professional judges in Japan do it.

1. Appearance

Take a traditional Kikisake-Choko (a white cup with two blue rings at the bottom). These rings are called "Janome" (snake's eye).

• Clarity: Look through the sake at the blue rings. Are they sharp and well-defined? Good sake should be crystal clear. A slight cloudiness (if it's not nigori) can indicate a protein defect (hiochi).
• Color: Look at the white porcelain. Is the sake transparent like water? Or does it have a golden/green shimmer? Freshly pressed sake often has a greenish tinge. Mature sake (koshu) tends towards amber. A slight yellow tint is normal and desirable in junmai (from the rice).

2. The aroma (nose)

We distinguish between two types of fragrance:

• Uwadachi-ka (Rising Aroma): The aroma you smell before you drink. Put your nose deep into the glass. Do you smell fruit (ginjo-ka)? Banana, apple, melon? Or more like rice, mushrooms, yogurt?
• Fukumi-ka (mouth aroma): The aroma that rises through the throat into the nose when you have the sake in your mouth (retronasal).

3. The taste (palates)

Take a small sip and let it roll over your tongue. Pay attention to the five tastes (Go-mi):

1. Amami (sweetness): Is it dry or sweet? The sweetness in sake comes from the rice and often feels softer than sugar.
2. Sanmi (acidity): Sake has less acidity than wine (succinic acid, lactic acid). The acidity gives sake its "backbone." Without acidity, it tastes flat.
3. Karami (dryness/spiciness): A sensation of alcohol or spice.
4. Nigami (bitterness): A slight bitterness in the finish is often desirable to balance the sweetness (as with grapefruit).
5. Shibumi (astringency): The furry feeling on the tongue (rare in good sake, rather a flaw).

4. The Exit (Finish)

That's the most important thing about good sake. The Japanese call it kire (the cut).
A premium sake should not leave a sticky residue in the mouth. It should "cut" like a samurai sword and disappear. A clean, crisp finish (kire) is the hallmark of quality, especially in sake from Niigata.

Pro tip: Change the temperature

Sake is the only beverage that radically changes its flavor when warmed in your hand. Try your sake cold, then let the glass stand for 5 minutes and try it again. You'll discover new nuances.