Although sake is often called "Japanese rice wine," it's not quite on point. Unlike beer or wine, which are categorized by the type of ingredients used (grains or grapes), sake is mostly differentiated by two things: In general, higher-quality (and more expensive) sakes are brewed with a rice that's more highly polished. Some of the best sakes polish more than 75% of the original grain! If you're wondering how Japanese sake tastes, it varies between the sake styles and even what temperature you drink it at. Sake can taste fruity and floral, or spicy and woody; it can even be crisp and dry like a dry white wine. Sometimes sake can have a very pure, clean taste almost like vodka. Should you drink Sake hot or cold? It’s picnic season. Try this time something new. Instead of beer or wine, slip a couple of single-serving sake in your picnic basket and enjoy them in the fresh air with nice food or barbeque. In general, however, junmai offers a full-body smoothness with savory rice-infused flavors and minor acidity. Honjozo

Ozeki is one of the largest sake producers in Japan located in the famous Nada region, famous for its hard water resulting in robust and tasty sake. The company brews sake not only in Japan but also in the US. You have probably seen Ozeki Dry Junmai sake in some supermarkets and shops in the UK and the US. In the American sake market, few brands hold the name recognition that Ozeki does. While the brewery is best known for producing the warm house sake of your local sushi joint, they make a variety of excellent products. You may also be surprised to learn that Ozeki sake has a long history, both in the U.S. and Japan. Let’s take a closer look at this storied company and some of the sake that they brew. What is Ozeki? The history behind the breweryTo be considered a junmai ginjo, the master sake brewer ( toji) must not add any extra alcohol to the brew. The result is often a more fragrant premium sake. Daiginjo & Junmai Daiginjo Mount Fuji is the symbol of Konishi Brewing Company, which started making sake in 1550, more than 470 years ago. The brewery is famous for its Shirayuki brand, which means Snow White referring to the snow-capped Mount Fuji.

Sake is a Japanese wine made from fermented rice, and is often referred to as rice wine in the West. This style of sake would usually be served chilled between 5-10°C, or gently warmed as ‘ kansake’ to 40-46°C in a small carafe ('tokkuri'). Producer Ozeki has been brewing sake since 1711 in Hyogo, central Japan, one of the most famous sake regions in Japan. With a fridge at most Japanese homes at that time, the heat was not a big problem. The brewery also used undiluted sake with ABV of 19%, which made it even more stable. Kikusui launched Funaguchi Nama in 1972 and it became an instant hit. It also started a nama sake boom, which is still going on.

Matchless & unparalleled, daiginjo is what sake dreams are made of. These high-end premium sakes are brewed with rice that's polished to 50% or less of its original size. In 1979, Ozeki opened a brewery in Hollister, California, becoming the first Japanese brewery to produce fresh sake on U.S. soil. Much like Hyogo prefecture, the area in which the new brewery was founded has access to high-quality California rice, as well as pure water from the Sierra Nevada. Where to buy Ozeki sake

With over 2,500 years of history behind it, it's no surprise that buying the perfect Japanese sake is anything but easy. It’s not just ordinary honjozo but honjozo blended with aged ginjo sake. As a result, the sake has a lot of depth and complexity in aroma and taste.Ozeki Karatamba sake is a premium sake, and the finest brewed by one of Japan's best known sake producers, Ozeki. This sake is the 'masterpiece' of their sake stable, winner of the Monde Selection Gold Award three years in a row. Ozeki Karatamba sake is smooth and dry, with a light body. It is not too rich, so delightful to drink throughout the meal and really highlights the taste of the food. A beautiful drinking sake.

What makes Shirayuki Akafuji Red Fuji quite unique is that it is a junmai ginjo sake. Making single-serving super-premium sake is less common. Most “one cups” are either futsushu or junmai or honjozo. But here you’ve got an opportunity to try junmai ginjo without buying a whole bottle. It’s especially cool if you are still getting into sake. Red Fuji is so tasty with a burgerThe best way to serve sake is from traditional Japanese sake jugs and sake cups. Browse our range of complete sake sets, or mix and match individual sake bottles and cups. If you get a traditional square cypress wood cup for your sake, drink from one corner to make sure you don't spill any! What does Sake taste like? Ozeki is one of the oldest breweries in Japan, but it wasn’t always called Ozeki. In 1711, a man named Chobee Osakaya founded the brewery called Manryo in the Nada district of Hyogo prefecture. Hyogo, and specifically Nada, is famous for the high quality rice and water available in the region. In 1884, the brewery changed its flagship brand name to Ozeki as an homage to the sport of sumo. At the time, grand champion sumo wrestlers would be awarded with the prestigious title “Ozeki.” This name change was to tell the public that the brewery also embodied the virtues of hard work and high skill required to earn recognition for their craft. With all that in mind, you choose your tasty bento and head to a vending machine or a stand selling small sealed sake cups (kappu), usually 180ml but sometimes as big as 200ml. A fair share of them tend to be futsushu but you can find anything from junmai and honjozo to junmai daiginjo and from nigori to genshu nama if you look hard enough. And your lunch is sorted! A small cups invasion Another great thing about Funaguchi Nama is that it ages pretty well. Leave it in a fridge for a year and its profile will change. The colour will change to amber and the taste will become more mellow and deeper with a nice velvety texture. Like junmai, honjozo sake uses rice that's polished to at least 70%. Unlike junmai, however, honjozo adds a small amount of brewer's alcohol to the brew.