The pinnacle of the sake brewer's art and the most fragrant, delicate, and refined of all sake. Junmai Dai Ginjo sake is brewed in a labor-intensive manner that avoids machinery and adheres to traditional methods and tools. It is the purest, made entirely of very highly polished rice whose outer kernel has been milled away by at least 50%, water, and koji mold, However, without the word "Junmai" in front of it, a Dai Ginjo sake may contain trace amounts of added brewer's alcohol to bring out the aroma and flavor.

Pairs best with clean-tasting, lightly seasoned food so as not to overwhelm the nuances in the sake.

Light, fruity, and fragrant like a Junmai Dai Ginjo, and also quite refined. Similarly to a JDG sake, a Junmai Ginjo sake is brewed using precise, labor-intensive methods and is fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time, resulting in more delicate, complex sake. To qualify as Junmai Ginjo, a sake must be made from highly polished rice whose outer kernel has been milled away by at least 40%, water, and koji mold. However, without the word "Junmai" in front of it, a Ginjo may contain trace amounts of added brewer's alcohol to bring out the aroma and flavor.


Pair with light to medium -flavored food, and perhaps nothing too robustly seasoned.

Boasts a full, solid flavor profile. Junmai sake is less prominently fragrant than Ginjo or Dai Ginjo sake but features a richer body and a well-structured presence. It is typically clean and straightforward, with a slightly higher acidity than other types of sake. Made with only rice, water, and koji mold. The rice used must be polished by at least 30% with 70% or more of the kernel remaining.

A Junmai sake is a good, all-around sake and has the backbone to stand alongside more robust, seasoned, or rich foods (kind of like the red wine of the sake world).

Similar to a Junmai sake's flavor profile--boasts full, solid flavor and a straightforward presence. Clean and well structured, with a slightly higher acidity than other types of sake. "Tokubetsu" means "special," and sake in this category requires more rice polishing than a basic Junmai (at least 40%, the same as a higher-grade Ginjo), or the use of very exceptional sake rice. Made with only rice, water, and koji mold, with no added brewer's alcohol.

Pair with seasoned, more robust foods.

Light, mildly fragrant and easy to drink. Dry character. Made with rice, water, koji and a very small amount of pure, distilled brewer's alcohol to help extract flavor and aroma. The added brewer's alcohol can often make the sake taste lighter and its fragrance become more prominent. Honjozo sake is still a premium-grade sake and must be made from rice whose grain has been polished off by at least 30%, like a Junmai. Pairs well with seasoned or more robust foods

"Cloudy Sake" or "Milky Sake" is roughly filtered, or may have had a portion of the rice lees (the fermented rice mixture) added back to the clear sake after filtration. The cloudiness adds fullness, body, and a distinct sweetness.

Nigori sake has a substantial flavor profile and may best be enjoyed as an aperitif or a dessert. It also complements richer, creamier, or spicier types of food.

A clear alcoholic beverage distilled most commonly from barley, sweet potato or rice.