This particularly interesting axis is more defined by the presence of heavier elements than by the lack of them. The opposite of this is not so much light and delicate sake as it is sake that doesn't display these attributes so readily. Aged sake often has such earthiness as part of its flavor profile. So does, very generally speaking, sake from the southern part of Japan, although there are a plethora of exceptions. And again, although the connotations of words like earthy and dank may conjure images of a good 20-year old distilled beverage, the above must be taken within the context of the flavor profile of sake, i.e. delicate and of narrow bandwidth.
Point being, it's subtle, very subtle, but enough to be noticed and worthy of comment.
Or, does it linger and hang out, the puckering acidity or stubborn sweetness remaining to be savored for minutes afterwards. Although all too often the instantaneously-vanishing tail is the favorite, lingering tails can be a godsend, with the right accompaniment and attitude. If a sake flavor is pleasing, it only makes sense to want it around a little longer. Naturally, this too is a matter of preference and a related to the external environment. Now that you know the basics, let's take a look at the generic flavor profiles of the four main types of Japanese sake.