Drank: Moonstone Coconut Lemongrass Sake and Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo (Sakeone)

By RUTH BROWN

"Sake Fest PDX is next week; you should review some sake," said my editor, plonking two bottles from local producer SakeOne on my desk. The first, a Moonstone Coconut Lemongrass sake, poured thick and milky white, tasting and smelling exactly as you might expect: like tanning lotion. The only suggestion of lemongrass was a mild citrus aftertaste that did little to abate the lingering tropical assault. The second, Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo, was its polar opposite: pouring clear with a gentle aroma of bread and banana, and an extremely mild flavor of rice and melon. A bit understated and short on the finish for me, but you could knock a bottle back without too much effort. Neither bottle is likely to satisfy serious sake aficionados, but the latter would make a gentle introduction for a first-timer. I'm still struggling to think of a good use for the former—what's the SPF rating? 

WWeek 2015

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