So 8 of us are driving up to buffalo to see a concert on halloween (moe. if you must know), and it’s become a tradition to get wasted in our hotel rooms after the show. Well, cargo space has become quite an issue this trip, so I’ve decided not to bring any beer, and I’m pretty picky about my alcohol, so I’m debating whether to go out on a limb and try some.
So I bring my questions to the alter of SDMB: What is the taste akin to? What is the proof? How bad are the hangovers? And is it available at your local liquor store? I’ll let you know how it goes. TOO, you can expect another one of THOSE phone calls if all goes right.
I think I speak for all of us* when I say:
HUH?
*All of us would of course be the voices in my heda, plus myself.
There is a wide variety of sake so it’s hard to answer your question. That’s kind of like asking what wine is like. Some sake should be served hot, and others cold. Wide variety of tastes as well.
Geikeikan brand is Japanese sake but actually brewed in Folsom California, and is a decent sake. It’s basically a mild taste, almost neutral. Not sweet, not bitter, no burning aftertaste. alcohol content IIRC is 10-20%. goes great with sushi. On the rocks is pretty mellow.
Hangovers depend but I haven’t found sake to be real nasty on the hangover side.
Well, personally, I LOOOOVE sake. The tast is sort of like a subtle sweet wine. (Go figure). Taste is enhanced/improved by warming slightly. Run the bottle under hot water if you don’t have a microwave. If you do have a microwave, warm it one glass at a time, and only for about 10 seconds - you don’t want the stuff to boil.
I’ve always been able to find it at liquor stores, and the hang-over is ok, actually. Although I usually drink it when I’m shwanking back my own body weight in sushi, so that may cut the effect.
Anyhow - I give it two thumbs up, but you may want to get a smallish bottle to start - some people love the stuff, others really don’t. Good luck!
Al.
If I’m just looking to get smashed after a show, I wouldn’t go with sake. Sake needs to drunk warm, out of awkward, square, wooden cups, and in front of lots of people who will be impressed that your drinking sake.
As for your questions, the ones I can answer anyway:
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Doesn’t have a strong flavor. Slightly sweet.
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Don’t know.
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Never had a hangover in my life. And not for lack of trying.
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It’s available in my local liquor store, but I live in California, which has a lot of Japanese immigrants and easy access to Asian markets. I don’t know if you can get sake in Moose Doots, Nebraska, but if you live in a major city, you ought to be able to get your hands on some.
I’d go along with what al said. (Can I call you al?) It’s an acquired taste, so you might want to try a sample before the party night. I never acquired enough taste for it to get a hangover. And I’m pretty sure it’s available here. 
As far as I can tell with a quick search, most sake is 16% alcohol or 32 proof, about the same as a red wine. I love sake myself, especially hot. How it tastes varies on what kind you’re drinking. I’ve had a few that the first cup tasted like kerosene but were hot heaven after that. I never drank enough of it to get a hangover, so I can’t help you there. It is available at the local liquor stores where I live, as well as grocery stores, but I don’t know if it’s available in your area. Why don’t you go into a Japanese restaurant and try some before you buy a bottle? It is the kind of thing that it seems people either love it or they hate it.
[sub]If you want an interesting drink, look for Poteen. It’s clear, starts at 60 proof but there are versions that have been triple distilled all the way up to 180 proof (I’ve only had the 90 proof stuff/costs about 17 dollars a bottle) and a very interesting flavor. It’s classified as a whiskey or moonshine or sometimes called “the rare old mountain dew”. Little ragged at first, but definately different.[/sub]
Yep, but only if you get NAKED!
Al.
Heh. I like how you think.