I'm sleeping at a 200 year old sake brewery that's been in constant production the entire time...
This morning I'll be working with the brew master, but last night Daimon-san, whose family started the brewery in 1826, gave me a tasting of the entire line and asked me to give him my take on the gomi or "five tastes" of sake:
Amami (甘味) - sweetness
Sanmi (酸味) - acidity
Karami (辛味) - dryness/spiciness
Nigami (苦味) - bitterness
Shibumi (渋味) - astringency
It's wild how different sake tastes depending on rice used, milling percentage, type of kōji (rice mold), brewing time, amount of steamed rice added, and so on. The variables are endless...a fascinating craft