What Are the Types of Sake?
How to read the label and choose a style you like.
The main sake designations include Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo and Daiginjo, with Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo and two Tokubetsu categories completing Japan's eight special designations. Futsu-shu sits outside those categories. Other names—such as nigori, nama, genshu, koshu and sparkling—describe different aspects of a sake and can overlap with its designation.
That overlap explains why one label can seem to contain several kinds of sake at once. Each word answers a different question about what is in the bottle.
What are the main sake categories?
Start with two distinctions: whether brewing alcohol has been added, and how the rice and sake have been prepared. Junmai means no added brewing alcohol. Ginjo and Daiginjo identify a brewing approach and rice-polishing requirements. Water, koji—the culture grown on rice—and yeast are part of the brewing, too.
| Designation | Rice remaining after polishing | Added brewing alcohol? |
|---|---|---|
| Junmai | No fixed polishing limit | No |
| Tokubetsu Junmai | 60% or less, or a special production method | No |
| Junmai Ginjo | 60% or less; ginjo brewing | No |
| Junmai Daiginjo | 50% or less; ginjo brewing | No |
| Honjozo | 70% or less | Yes, a limited amount |
| Tokubetsu Honjozo | 60% or less, or a special production method | Yes, a limited amount |
| Ginjo | 60% or less; ginjo brewing | Yes, a limited amount |
| Daiginjo | 50% or less; ginjo brewing | Yes, a limited amount |
These are the principal distinctions, not the complete production rules. The National Tax Agency's designation table summarizes the categories; the National Research Institute of Brewing also records koji proportions and sensory requirements. “Tokubetsu” means special; where a special method is the basis, the label should explain it. A 60% polishing figure means 60% remains, not 60% removed.
Futsu-shu means sake outside the special designations. It is a broad category, rather than a single flavor. And adding brewing alcohol is a production choice: it does not turn sake into a distilled spirit. For the smaller family of aromatic styles, read What Does Ginjo Mean on a Sake Label?
Where do nigori, nama and sparkling sake fit?
These terms describe production methods or styles and can apply to sake in several categories. They do not rank quality.
- Nigori
- Cloudy sake retaining fine rice particles after coarse straining. It is often fuller in texture; cloudiness alone does not specify sweetness.
- Nama
- Unpasteurized sake. Follow its refrigeration instructions carefully.
- Genshu
- Sake not diluted with water to adjust its alcohol content. Check the actual ABV rather than assuming every genshu has the same strength.
- Koshu
- Aged sake. Depending on how it is matured, it can develop amber color and nutty or dried-fruit notes.
- Sparkling
- Sake containing bubbles. Sweetness and strength vary by bottle.
The NRIB sake guide explains these production styles. You may also see kimoto or yamahai, which refer to methods of preparing the fermentation starter, or taruzake, indicating cedar-cask character. The JSS glossary is useful for decoding further terms.
Which type of sake should a beginner choose?
Start with the flavors you enjoy. If you enjoy fragrant white wines, start by exploring Junmai Ginjo. If savory, rounded flavors appeal, consider a Junmai. Flavor varies within each category, so check the tasting notes for the bottle.
Our LABEL AZUR, composed with Dewazakura, offers pear and apple with mineral character. LABEL 12, composed with Konishi, takes a savory direction, with almond and cacao notes. The breweries make the sakes; Régis Camus works with them through Assemblage to shape each expression.
For help matching a sake to the flavors and food you enjoy, read our guide to choosing a bottle.
