In the bottle: Soft and slightly sweet with hints of wet hay to start, overall more of a neutral nose with nothing poking out too far. Once this opens up a little, you can get a little bit of sweet potato freshness along with a subtle sharp notes that is a bit hard to identify. To close, Satsuma Shirakane is quite mild in terms of the alcohol and this certainly adds to its Izakaya drinkability..

On the rocks: The first sip is sharp and prickles the roof the mouth before opening up with a rich sweet potato sweetness that is smooth and very easy to drink. This is a nice contrast to the somewhat neutral nose and adds to the overall impact of the entire experience. Additionally, there are some nice earthy tones that linger on the finish and really remind me of steamed sweet potatoes. While nothing really stands out, the end results something that is quite drinkable and perfect for having a couple of glasses. 

水割り Diluted with water

Ratio 4:1: The overall sharpness is cut way back as is the sweetness, which I think works better than just on-the-rocks, especially if you plan to have more than one glass. While it doesn't gain any additional depth in flavor it does increase the drinkability which is perfect for an evening at the local Izakaya.