Atsukan (Hot Sake) has three basic qualities, its hot, alcoholic and cheap.  In the world of hot sake it is volume over quality.  In America if you order hot sake it will likely be from one of these three labels.  Sake at this level, if served cold will taste flat, bitter, and almost stale. That is because much of the time consuming process to produce a premium sake is left out in order to produce a large quantity at a low price. Heating the sake smooths out the bitterness of the taste. When drank hot, you will get a semi-smooth, acidic taste with varying degrees of aftertaste. The easiest way to prepare hot sake is to buy a microwave-safe sake set like the one in the picture below. I bought this set in Asakusa, Japan.  Pour the sake in the container and microwave for 2 minutes.  Enjoy with friends. Also, this level of sake is what you would use for other drinks like ‘sake bombs’.