Char Halley Jikagumi Junmai

Part of Endo's "Char" series, released in 2017 with a aim of sohowcasing unqiue flavours not found in other sake. Each bottle is named after a particular comet, with the idea being that the sake has "appeared out of nowhere"... and disappears just as quickly. Halley, the Junmai of the group, is the most accessible and a nice option for a robust medium-bodied junmai. The aroma is gentle and ceral-forward, while the palate has some interested aspects of Bosc pear and figs, with a well-balanced yet prominent character of sweetness, sourness, and umami. As a "jikagumi" release, the sake is pressed directly from the fermentation mash to the bottle and pasteurised therein, meaning that each bottle and each year is slightly different and unique. Indeed, the other releases in the Char series (notably Bennett and Donati), each also represent different pressing techniques (nakatori, or middle cut, and arabarashi, or free run), so there's a nice aspect of technical exloration here, too.