Types of sake

Sake comes in eight premium grades (junmai daiginjo, daiginjo, junmai ginjo, ginjo, tokubetsu junmai, tokubetsu honjozo, junmai and honjozo), decided by the polishing ratio and whether brewer's alcohol is added, plus everyday futsushu, and styles such as nama, genshu and nigori.

Words like junmai daiginjo on the label are official special designations (tokutei meishō), defined by national labelling rules. Two things decide the grade: whether brewer's alcohol is added, and the polishing ratio.

The eight premium gradesTwo things decide the grade: the polishing ratio, and whether brewer's alcohol is added.

PolishingJunmairice, koji and water onlyWith alcohola little brewer's alcohol50% or lessJunmai daiginjo純米大吟醸Daiginjo大吟醸60% or lessJunmai ginjo純米吟醸Ginjo吟醸60% or lessor a special methodTokubetsu junmai特別純米Tokubetsu honjozo特別本醸造70% or lessjunmai: no minimumJunmai純米Honjozo本醸造

ginjo brewing: fruity, floral aroma

Everything else is futsushu: ordinary, everyday sake.

Junmai styles: full rice flavour and umami; many are great warm.
Ginjo styles: slow, cold fermentation brings fruity, floral aromas (ginjo-ka).
Honjozo styles: a touch of alcohol lifts the aroma and makes them light and crisp.

Styles by method

Namazake: never pasteurised. Fresh and lively; keep it cold.
Nama-zume: pasteurised once, before storage. Autumn hiyaoroshi is this type.
Nama-chozo: stored unpasteurised, pasteurised once before shipping.
Genshu: undiluted, rich and strong (about 17–20%).
Muroka: not charcoal-filtered; more colour and flavour.
Nigori: coarsely filtered, cloudy with rice sediment.
Kimoto / yamahai: traditional starters using natural lactic bacteria; tangy and deep.
Koshu / aged sake: aged for years; amber, with caramel and nut notes.
Kijoshu: brewed with sake instead of water; sweet and rich.
Sparkling: bubbles, often from a second fermentation in the bottle.

Updated 30 September 2026KIKI 利きAll guides

Types of sake

Styles by method

Terms in this article

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