Top 9 Best Sweet Japanese Sakes in 2021 - Tried and True! (Ozeki and More)

If you're not a newcomer to the world of sake, feel free to skip ahead to the ranking. For those of you that just happened to click on this or are curious to learn more about Japanese sake, we thought we'd give you a rundown of what exactly sweet sake is.

Sake is generally thought of in two types of flavor: dry and sweet. Sweet sakes have a higher sugar content. While sake has official classifications such as junmai-shu and junmai ginjo, there's no official "dry" or "sweet" rating. Sake makers came up with this classification themselves to help customers better envision what their wares would taste like.

Because of this, there are those who may find sweet sakes to taste dry or vice versa. Keep this in mind when reading our ranking; after all, your own taste buds are ultimately the deciding factor.

According to sake expert, Sandra Gwee, whom we'll introduce later, the taste is one of the most important reasons to choose a sweet sake. Sweetness is always experienced first before other flavors and it's especially good to focus on for most beginners new to sake and who don't understand the flavors of sake yet. 

Buying a sweet sake first is a great choice when starting to learn about the drink. Also, most drinkers who choose sweet sakes tend to have a sweet tooth, liking drinks such as Moscato, sparkling wine, Umeshu, mixers, or cocktails. 

These kinds of drinkers are known as sweet and easy drinkers who always want something sweet in an alcoholic drink where the sweet profile masks the alcohol flavor. So nigori, plum sake, yuzu sake, or carbonated sparkling sakes will fit their palettes most.

The rich, sweet flavor comes from the rice used to create the drink. The flavor of the rice breaks through the acidity of the drink, and, unless you are sensitive to alcohol, you can really enjoy the natural sweetness stemming from this base ingredient.

However, everyone has a different sense of taste and will detect different levels of sweetness, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what you'd like without first trying out different drinks.

We picked out 9 of the most popular products and tested them for the following: how sweet it was, how strong its aroma was, and how strong its flavor was. Our impressions for category were then averaged into a final score of deliciousness. 

Then, based on how they performed on our tests, we graded and ranked the top 9 sweet Japanese sakes available online.

※Japanese prices for the products are given; they’ve merely been converted into USD for easy viewing. Please note that these products were not picked by the collaborating experts, but chosen through extensive research and by combing through customer reviews by our staff at mybest.

Our sake specialists taste-tested each of the sakes at room temperature. They scored each beverage based on its smell and taste, as well as how easily it went down the throat. 

Sake that struck a divine balance between sweet and sour received the highest scores. If a sake is just sweet, then it starts to taste like juice; adding some acidity gives the flavor depth and brings out the essence of the rice.

Sandra Gwee is an SSA certified sake educator, sommelier, scholar, and the Director of Kodawari Sake Education. Based in Perth, Australia, she has a passion for introducing sake to new audiences through live events, tasting sessions, and education. You can catch up with her on her website, Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram to learn more about sake. 

Here are three big things to look out for when choosing a sweet sake that fits with your flavor profile.

If you're new to the world of sake, you may be wondering what all of those numbers in the table meant. Well, that's the Sake Meter Level (SMV), and it indicates the sugar content in a sake. Anything in the positive numbers is considered dry, and anything in the negative numbers is sweet.

If you're looking for an average sweet sake, look for an SMV between -3.5 and -5.9. Anything below -6.0 is considered super sweet. However, if you get too low in the negative numbers, some people claim it starts to taste dry. Sample different SMVs for yourself and get a feel for what you like.

The words "junmai" and "ginjo" and "daiginjo" have been thrown around a lot in this ranking, but we haven't really explained them, have we? These are some of the 8 different classifications of Japanese sake. What separates them from one another is their main ingredients, method of production, and their ratio of polished rice.

• Junmai-shu (純米酒)
• Tokubetsu junmai-shu (特別純米酒)
• Junmai ginjo (純米吟醸)
• Junmai daiginjo (純米大吟醸)

• Honjozo-shu (本醸造酒)
• Tokubetsu honjozo-shu (特別本醸造酒)
• Ginjo-shu (吟醸酒)
• Daiginjo-shu (大吟醸酒)

Junmai daiginjo is considered to be the top rank of Japanese sake; it's very expensive and tends to be served only on special occasions. If you're looking for the most affordable sake, we suggest trying junmai-shu or honjozo-shu. 

Japan has a huge variety of rice, and each type has its own unique flavor that is brought out best with sake. Most sweet sakes are made with mild Miyama Nishiki (美山錦) or Yamada Nishiki (山田錦) rice. On the other end of the spectrum are varieties like Gohyakuman-goku (五百万石) rice, which has a bit of a bite to it.

By sampling different types of sake and reading the label on the bottle to see what kind of rice it's made with, you can start to get a feel of what each type of rice brings to the beverage. 

When pairing sake with food, you need to consider the taste. Since we're talking about sweet sakes, you should match sweet sakes with sweet foods. In the case of rich food, match it with a rich sake; light foods match with Ginjos. These are basic, tried and true pairings.

Perfectly matching the flavors of both food and sake takes skill. The thing about food, especially Japanese food, is that there are layers of elements that have been combined together that people don't really consider since they're just there to enjoy the experience. But it's good to remember that no matter what kind of food you match with Japanese sake it will never really clash.

However, when pairing sake, unless you are a brewer, it can be hard to understand how to match your drinks perfectly. 

But when layers of flavors come into play, you really have to have a thorough understanding of both the sake and food you're plating. For me, I go over every detail, especially if I am holding an event where I have a chef prepare the food.

For example, I need to know what the chef is doing for each dish. I also look for how dedicated and how precise the chef is. If they aren't dedicated or aren't precise, then the food won't shine when paired with sake and vice versa. 

But having said that, it's also fun to try pairing sake with non-traditional flavors. For example, I have discovered unique ways to introduce Japanese sake to the Australian market by pairing sake with foods you wouldn't normally think of trying sake with. Have you ever tried sake with chocolate or cheese? It's a fun and delicious combination.

If you're planning on making your own cocktails or want to add a pop of citrus to your drink, then consider a juicer. Using a juicer is an easy way to extract every last drop from your favorite citrus fruits. This one comes highly recommended by plant-based food enthusiast Amy Rosen.

Japan loves alcohol just as much as the next person, and that includes us. Here are some other Japanese alcohols we've tried and tested so that you have a better idea of where to start looking.

We rounded up three Japanese sake experts, purchased the 9 most popular sweet Japanese sakes, and tested them all.

We learned that the best of the best sweet sakes have a lower Sake Meter Value, are of the Junmai Daiginjo variety, and balance sweet and sour flavors to create a balanced and refreshing flavor. We think the best way to find what kind of sweet sake you like is to sample a large variety, but we hope we've given you a good place to start.

Author: Sayako Suzuki/Translation: Shannon McNaught/Photos: Koichi Miura, Yuuki Inagaki, Hiroshi Takigawa

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