In the bottle: At first this comes across a little tart (which could be due to the 30% alcohol), but then the sweetness comes in which blends a toasted rice with more typical sake fruity notes. The fruity vapors are a bit undefined but you can definitely feel some peach and lychee in there.  

On the rocks: What strikes me right of the bat is the toasted rice, caramel and vanilla; they are right up front and stay very present all the way through the finish. These notes mask the higher alcohol content to some extent, but you can definitely feel it on the way down, that being said there is nothing unpleasant about Manekitsune. 

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, 3:2 ratio, Adding some water definitely cuts down on some of that sweetness, leaving the toasted rice to be more forward, which is interesting, but with the sweetness gone, there is a little sharp note that appears which is similar to what was observed on the nose. Overall, I think both work, especially if you are a slower drinker as this will give you all of what's on the rocks and with a little dilution.

Enjoy on the rocks