Tozai Snow Maiden

slight licorice flavor. slightly bitter/sour, but smooth, cloudy, mildly sweet. not bad but not great either.

Creamy slight licorice and a mild burn and slight sour aftertaste

Rating: 16/23 Surprisingly tart and very rich. The nigori creaminess is nice. The variety shines as it develops into the finish. The flavor is fruity with a balanced sweetness, tartness, and richness. Some licorice is mixed in, providing a reminder of Baiju, but not in a dominant way. It's a very good choice, though it could use a bit more assertiveness from its understated flavors and the finish is a bit off from being completely clean. There's a lot of texture from the nigori. The flavor has a lot of banana sweetness. There's a bit of some other sweetness of fruit that comes with some crispness too, a bit like apple. Some mild melon juiciness comes out too, kind of like mild honeydew mixed with cantaloupe. The alcohol presence is apparent, but with minimal effect on the flavor. It's definitely on the sweet side, but not excessively so. I'm not a fan of the banana, but it does give a nice tropical vibe. The flavor and complexity aren't great, but they are quite good, making this thoroughly sippable. There's a bit of bread with maybe a touch of yeast. There's a mild touch of earthiness too.