Types of sake: the grades explained

Sake labels can look like a code: Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Honjozo, Tokubetsu. The good news is that the code is short. Once you know two things, how much the rice was polished and whether any alcohol was added, the grades fall into place.

Two questions decide the grade

1. How much was the rice polished? Brewers mill away the outer layers of each rice grain before brewing. The percentage of the grain that's left is the polishing ratio. Lower numbers mean more polishing and, usually, a lighter and more aromatic sake. Our polishing ratio guide explains it with a diagram.

2. Was a little distilled alcohol added? Sake made only from rice, water, koji, and yeast is called Junmai, which means "pure rice." Other premium grades add a small, regulated amount of distilled alcohol near the end of fermentation. Brewers do this on purpose: it can lift aromas and give a lighter, crisper body.

The grades at a glance

The premium sake grades at a glance

Rice polished to	No added alcohol	A little distilled alcohol added
50% or less	Junmai Daiginjo	Daiginjo
60% or less	Junmai GinjoBoth WESAKE sakes	Ginjo
70% or less	JunmaiNo minimum, ratio shown on the label	Honjozo

These grades are Japan's "special designation" sakes, called tokutei meishoshu. They must meet rules for ingredients and polishing, and their labels must show the polishing ratio.

Junmai

Junmai sake is made only from rice, water, koji, and yeast. There's no minimum polishing ratio, but the ratio must be on the label. Junmai sakes tend to be fuller and more savory, with flavors of steamed rice and gentle umami, and many are great both chilled and warm. Read more in what is Junmai sake.

Honjozo

Honjozo sake uses rice polished to 70% or less, with a small amount of distilled alcohol added. That touch of alcohol makes it light, smooth, and easy to drink. Honjozo is a classic choice for warm sake, though it's lovely chilled too.

Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo

Ginjo sake uses rice polished to 60% or less and is fermented cold and slow, a method called ginjo-zukuri. The result is aromatic and refined, with notes like melon, pear, apple, and white flowers.

Junmai Ginjo is Ginjo sake made with no added alcohol: just rice, water, koji, and yeast. It balances the aromatic lift of Ginjo with a little more body. Both WESAKE sakes are Junmai Ginjo. Learn more in what is Junmai Ginjo.

Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo

Daiginjo sake uses rice polished to 50% or less, and many are polished much further. These are often the most delicate and fragrant sakes a brewery makes. Junmai Daiginjo is the same idea with no added alcohol.

More polishing doesn't automatically mean better. It means a different style: lighter, more perfumed, and usually more expensive to make. Plenty of sake lovers prefer the fuller character of a Junmai or Junmai Ginjo.

Tokubetsu: "special"

You'll sometimes see Tokubetsu Junmai or Tokubetsu Honjozo. Tokubetsu means "special," and these sakes are polished to 60% or less or made with a special method that the brewery explains on the label.

Futsushu: table sake

Sake outside the special designation grades is called futsushu, or table sake. It has no polishing minimum and can include more added alcohol. Futsushu makes up most of the sake brewed in Japan, and it's the everyday sake many people pour at home, often warm.

Other styles you'll see on labels

Grades describe polishing and ingredients. These words describe how a sake was made or finished, and they can apply to almost any grade:

• Nigori: coarsely filtered, so it's cloudy with fine rice solids. Usually creamy and a little sweet. Shake gently before pouring.
• Nama: unpasteurized. Fresh, lively, and zesty, but it must be kept cold.
• Genshu: undiluted. Water isn't added before bottling, so it's fuller and stronger, often 17 to 20% ABV.
• Koshu: aged sake. Matured for years until it turns amber, with nutty, savory, sherry-like notes.
• Kimoto and Yamahai: traditional starter methods that often give a richer, more savory, more acidic sake.
• Sparkling sake: carbonated, either in the bottle or by adding gas. Light and festive.

Reading the numbers on the label

Besides the grade, many labels list a few numbers. The polishing ratio tells you how much of the rice is left. The sake meter value (SMV) hints at whether it drinks drier or sweeter, and acidity tells you how crisp or soft it feels. See sake meter value and sake acidity for what the numbers mean.

Which grade should you try first?

If you're new to sake, start with a chilled Junmai Ginjo. It's clean, smooth, and aromatic without being delicate, and it works with all kinds of food. From there, try a Junmai to taste the fuller, rice-forward side of sake, or a Daiginjo to see how light and fragrant it can get.

Both WESAKE sakes are Junmai Ginjo polished to 60%. The can is dry and light with soft umami. The Sakura bottle is floral and dry with notes of white peach and pear. Want the bigger picture? Read the complete guide to sake.