The Devil's Mask is a great combination of thickness, color, scent and taste. The nose is buttery and the flavor is filled with light citrus notes, but Kariho Namahage Junmai is also dry in aftertaste. With a pleasing yellow-beige color, Kariho Namahage Junmai is fruity without being overwhelming. The sake itself is fairly light in flavor with a rather subdued aroma, with an almost barley-grainy sweetness slowly revealing itself at room temperature or so. A very crisp feel overall and a very clean finish make for a fine "session sake."

Kariho is made with water that is high in minerals from Akita Prefecture. This sake derives its name from the Namahage, demons with nasty masks that visit and torment children, new brides and the new kids in town. The stuff of festivals and parades, namahage are local to Akita Prefecture and are named for the blister one gets from sitting too long under a heated table known as a kotatsu. Fear not, this sake is far more pleasing than that!