Sake session at Cilantro

A first for me, as I have never been taught the different nuances of sake before. And I confess, even after eight shots of sake, I still find it hard to differentiate the various types of sake, only that they all went down real smooth!

This apt tasting session was a precursor to a Japanese Specialty Dinner.

Under the Junmai Daiginjo category, which means 50% polished rice without added alcohol, the chilled sake varieties were:

Izumibashi Junmai Daiginjo Kimoto: Omachi rice grown and harvestedby the brewery, with deep and rich flavours yet elegant, delicate and refreshing.

Koikawa Junmai Daiginjo: Smooth, fruity and light with umami flavour. Slides comfortably down the throat, extraordinary depth of taste.

Koikawa Junmai Ginjo (classic): Recommended for beginners, elegant and smooth, light and slight acidity. Good as warm sake for beginners.

Asahigiku Daichi Junmai Daiginjo: Using nom-pesticide Yamada Nishiki rice, gentle umami of rice with mild acidity that is well-balanced when served cold. Served warm, gives creamy smooth texture with slight acidic aftertaste.

Tokubetsu Junmai: Dry and smooth rice/malt flavour with a tangy acidic aftertaste, When warm, rich flavours spreads across palate with slightly sharp aftertaste.

The warm ones :

Komagura Munouyaku Yamada Nishiki: Obtained from pesticide-free Yamada Nishiki rice, mild and gentle aroma with taste derived from soft rice.

Benten Musume Junmai Nicori (limited edition): Distinctly cloudy in appearance, creamy and deep umami flavour, yet not too heavy with pleasant mouthfeel. When warmed up to 60 degrees C, you get a creamy and rich flavour that spreads across palate.

We also tried the Tokubetsu Junmai warm, which tasted quite different, as the nuances were clearer.

Descriptions were provided by Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar at Micasa All Suite Kuala Lumpur.