While I am far from a sake sommelier, I wanted to from time to time list some interesting brands that might appeal to those looking for something new to try.
Sake falls into 4 categories:
Honjōzō-shu (本醸造酒), in which a slight amount of brewer's alcohol is added to the sake before pressing, in order to extract extra flavors and aromas from the mash. This term was created in the late 1960s to distinguish it, a premium sake, from cheaply made liquors to which large amounts of distilled alcohol were added simply to increase volume. Sake with this designation must be made with no more than 116 liters of pure alcohol added for every 1,000 kilograms of rice.
Junmai-shu (純米酒), "pure rice sake," made from only rice, water and kōji, with no brewer's alcohol or other additives. Before 2004, the Japanese government mandated that junmai-shu must be made from rice polished down to 70% or less of its original weight, but that restriction has been removed.
Ginjō-shu (吟醸酒), made from rice polished to 60% or less of its original weight.
Daiginjō-shu (大吟醸酒), made from rice polished to 50% or lower of its original weight.
Typically sake is judged on aspects - such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, etc. - and can be drunk warm or chilled - the finer or higher quality sakes are best consumed when chilled so as to enhance and retain the flavor of the liquor.
Some varietals that you might enjoy are:
Kikusui no Junmaishu - Junmai (純米酒) brewed in Nigata
Hoyo Manamusume - Junmai (純米酒) brewed in Miyagi and crafted from rare Manamusume rice grown only in Miyagi Prefecture.
Hakkaisan Honjozo - Junmai (純米酒) brewed in Niigata
Masumi Arabashiri - Junmai nama Ginjyo (吟醸酒) - a mild sake with a fruity taste and aroma best served with robst foods such as Latin dishes.
Enjoy.
All the best...Mark
