The smell from the warm and wet leaf is so incredibly different from anything I've had. Stupidly bright and fruity, even candy-like. The fermentation method produced some incredible differences from your typical heicha/shou. The rinse is super thick and cloudy, and given how sterile they treat this fermentation process - I'm gonna drink it.

Infusions

rinse - Soft and velvety mouthfeel with a sake punch. A mix of red and green fruits, deep but also super bright and tangy. There's a bit of a sour note that fades into a roasted/toasted bitterness/nuttiness/earthiness. There's also a floral rice bran aroma.

1. The wet leaf is even more powerful in aroma than the rinse. Sweet strawberry toffee, warm pastries, toasted/puffed rice. The liquor is still quite cloudy and dark - resembling a whiskey. The mouthfeel is similar to the rinse - smooth and velvet-like. The taste is darker and more bass-heavy when compared to the rinse. The roasted tones come through much stronger. I'm noticing cherrywood, multigrain and bran-heavy breads - perhaps rye as well. There's also a cashew-like nuttiness, a smooth bitter tang that's like a marriage of the sweet and fruity parts of sake mixed with toast.

   The aftertaste and finish are both really interesting and long-lasting. There's a mineral softness on top of a slightly over-toasted grain with a mysterious floral/fruit kind of thing.

2. Wet leaf is grape-like with a strong floral-fruity range tied into pastries. Flavor is brighter and on the floral side of sake. The roasted aspect is a bit more charred, but very nicely complimented by the bright and sweet fruity florals. There's a fine effervescent mouthfeel that coats the entire mouth in tiny bubbles.

3. Sweet apple aroma on the lid of the gaiwan. Almost like you're walking through a meadow or old cobblestone city-scape. There's a taste of being near the ocean with warm air as well. Some sweet sourness is coming through to the cup now. Kind of a cross between mirin and sake without the alcoholic bite. Definitely still very floral, fruity, and toasty with a clear roasted rice taste. Anyone really into Tie Guan Yin, yancha, or unusual things would probably love this.

4. Similar to the last cup with more minerals and rockiness.

5. Letting it go longer brought out more sweetness and floral notes. There's a sweet/sour duality that's hard to describe in the typical sour or tangy terms. It doesn't have the mouthfeel or reaction of something sour but has the taste.

6. Becoming a lot lighter now. Predominate notes are that toasty and nutty aspect.

7. Sake/toasted rice-centric with more of an alcoholic tang. This was a real fun time and I really recommend giving this stuff a shot.