The Sakes you must know among 10K of market choices

Written by Yuta Shirahata 白幡雄大

Japan has so many Sake manufactures and more than 10,000 kinds of Sake, which might confuse you. Do not worry. Even Japanese people do not know so many of them. But actually among thousands of Sake, there are ones that Japanese Sake lovers would typically choose. 

Kubota/久保田

This is a typical dry type of Sake from Niigata. There are several grades and the best one, Manju/萬壽 is amazing. Niigata is known as the best rice place in Japan.　Kubota/久保田 is made only of local rice, which makes the clear taste and it is good to drink at normal temperature or after making it cold.

Hakkaisan/八海山

This is also an authentic dry type of Sake from Niigata. The manufacturer uses only beautiful water, which is well know as 雷神様の清水/Clear water of thunder God. This soft water makes gentle taste of Hakkaisan/八海山. The best one, 純米大吟醸, is famous for its rich rice flavor. It is good for Japanese meals.

Dassai/獺祭

Dassai is a well known Sake which the Japanese prime minister gave to President Obama as a gift. It is actually categorized as Dry Sake, but because of its rich rice flavor thanks to its good rice polishing rate, you can feel the fruity taste. Because of this feature, Dassai was a kind of innovation for Sake when it was launched. It is quite popular among casual drinkers, especially young ladies in Japan.

If you are confused with so many options, you should choose the ones in this article. You can even pretend to be a person who is familiar with Sake if you choose the ones even in front of a Japanese person.