Kiribana (aroma at the tank tap hole)

Term: Kiribana Kiribana refers to the aroma of sake as it comes out of the tap hole (nomiana) of a storage tank. This aroma is noticed during nomikiri (the opening of the tap hole to check the stored sake). It is one of the key factors in judging the quality of the stored sake and whether it has any faults. If the kiribana is good, the sake is likely to be of excellent quality. Conversely, if the aroma is unpleasant, there may be some problem. In this way, kiribana is an important indicator that helps with quality control in the sake-making process.