“Senkin Snowman Nigori is exactly what it promises to be—joy in a bottle. H and I opened it late in the afternoon at a friend’s cabin near Lake Arrowhead, just as the fog was rolling in low across the water. It wasn’t a serious tasting; we paired it with homemade mochi dusted in kinako and filled with a persimmon jam that a neighbor had made from the Hachiya persimmons that only ripen properly for about two weeks here.
The sake itself? It’s bright and lightly effervescent, with a creamy sweetness that reminded me of rice pudding we had in Kyoto one winter. There’s not much depth to it—no hidden corners, no surprises—but that isn’t the point. It’s playful, milky, and low in alcohol, almost more like a dessert than a drink. We smiled, we kept the bottle, and we’ll probably bring it out again next December. It’s not spectacular, but it’s charming. Sometimes that’s enough.”
