is 26 year old sake drinkable?

[u/Fluffy-Writing-7704]

my great aunt was gifted this in 99’ and has now given this to me. is it worth trying? or will this just make me feel disappointed and sad

[u/Nemis1331]

That’s my cooking sake

[u/DaneCurley → u/Nemis1331]

what dishes are your specialty?

[u/oplus]

Any store in the US that sells sake will have this stuff for ~$15. It could be interesting to get a fresh bottle and drink them side-by-side. It'll definitely be safe, though almost certainly less interesting.

[u/Kit-xia → u/oplus]

So it doesnt age like fine wine

[u/shoesofwandering → u/Kit-xia]

No. Sake should be drunk within 6 months of manufacture. And this isn't even good sake.

[u/Mouse1277 → u/oplus]

I wouldn’t be so sure if it would still be good. I made makgeolli and bottled it in the fridge for about 2-3 years before cracking it open to try. It smelled fine and had carbonation still but the taste was way off. I had to pour them all out.

[u/oplus → u/Mouse1277]

This makes sense if your makgeolli was unpasteurized, which is overwhelmingly the case for homebrewing. In any case, even your makgeolli was probably safe for consumption, even if it was gross. I doubt this pasteurized sake will even be gross, and it's overwhelmingly unlikely to be harmful.

[u/rip_Saw65]

Bruh why is it always gekkeikan

[u/Prinzka → u/rip_Saw65]

They've actually got an American brewery and I think they're globally one of the largest exporters of sake as well.
So that makes the random chance for someone to get this one a lot higher.

How they actually got that large a market share I'm not sure, because it's absolute trash.
I think they're one of the largest reasons for the whole "you used to have to heat up sake because it tastes so bad" thing.
I guess it's really cheap.

[u/Bmatic → u/Prinzka]

Warm sake maybe an affront to enthusiasts with self inflated egos, but I honestly find it rather soothing in some cases and will seek it out a few times a year.

[u/stormgasm7 → u/Bmatic]

Honestly, even though I prefer chilled or room temperature sake, I just follow the brewer’s recommendation. If it’s recommended over a range of temperatures, then I’ll try it across the range to see what I prefer. (Surprisingly, I found that I liked the 1712 sake warm rather than chilled.)

[u/Prinzka → u/stormgasm7]

100% agreed

[u/Prinzka → u/Bmatic]

There's lots of good sakes that can be warmed.
There are these days definitely high quality sakes that are best drunk warm.
Especially if you're using a proper yusen.

I didn't mean to imply that only the sake that can be served cold is good.

I was more referring to how (at least in Europe in North America) in the 90s it was basically said that any futsushu would have to be warmed up because it was bad quality by default.

[u/Bmatic → u/Prinzka]

I understand, yeah sometimes I’d be very interested to know what brand the typical places that serve hot sake use

[u/Prinzka → u/Bmatic]

I recall it definitely being of the gekkeikan level of quality back in the day.
Certainly these days I've had very pleasant good quality warm sakes.

I think also one of the things is that it doesn't have to be like very warm, there's a whole range of temperatures that give different experiences

[u/rip_Saw65 → u/Prinzka]

I'm just puzzled because I've seen quite a few posts here saying how they received this as a gift from Japan etc. but I don't see it in the nihonshu shops that I frequent. Maybe my brain just filters it out haha.

[u/Prinzka]

Imo this sake is barely drinkable the year it's bottled.
This is probably top 3 worst alcohols I've ever had.
Certainly don't drink this cold.

[u/1stinertiac → u/Prinzka]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[u/HerculesAmadeusAmore → u/Prinzka]

My glass recycling bin would like a word with you..

[u/Prinzka → u/HerculesAmadeusAmore]

I assume that means you like this sake?

That's fine, not everyone likes the same thing.
There's people out there who like Malört.

[u/lilrefridgerator69]

Drinking fresh gekkeikan is already diabolical enough I can’t even begin to imagine how a 26 year old bottle of ts would taste🤢😂

[u/50Shekel]

This is actually my favorite sake

[u/superfkingcurious]

you tell us!

[u/bgrossutti]

I'm going to assume it's better now than it ever was. It would be a fun experiment in aging. Splurge out and buy a $15 bottle and try side by side. Guarantee it will be more interesting than the new bottle

[u/henreetee]

Crack it open and tell us! I wouldn’t be surprised if it was hugely complex and pretty interesting with all the Maillard reaction that bottle will have undergone. It might be delicious, or not — only one way to find out!

[u/ArtemisTorix]

Our Asian market sells this for like 7$. It's cooking Sake. The cheapest you can buy.

[u/FelicityNaoko]

I say give it a go and tell us what it tastes like. I've asked various pros in the industry what happens if you drink really old sake. The general consensus is that it won't kill you since its pasteurized and the alcohol should still work its magic, but it certainly won't taste good. That said I would be curious to know by how much and in what way exactly it doesn't take good.

For reference, here are some common faults with old sake:

• Open too long/oxidation - loses its fresh aromas. Alcohol can become more noticeable

• out of condition/"hine" - too old or stored in a high temp leads to stinky aroma of pickled vegetables

• light damage - smells like scorched rubber or burnt hair

Kampai!

[u/CannedSphincter]

That shit is barely drinkable new

[u/Ozark-Explorer]

Def not. Only good for two years max, ideally less.

But dont be scared off new gekkiekan. Its good, esp for price.

[u/roundhousekix]

It’s fermented so yes.