The top 10 sakes

We bring you the top 10 sakes voted for by attendees of the sake experience which took place on 27 July at Japanese culture expo Hyper Japan at London’s Earl’s Court, writes Laura Silman.

The list includes the super-premium Dassai 23, which cost £95 per bottle and is usually found in Michelin starred restaurants, as well as a sparkling sake which costs just £7 per bottle.

There are two different levels of sake that you are likely to come across when perusing a drinks menu: Ginjo, which is premium sake often drunk warm, and Daignjo which is super-premium sake which is more often consumed cold.

Sake sales are growing in the UK restaurant sector and, as previously reported by the drinks business, The Hakkasan Group has launched a one-day Sake course to tap into a growing demand for the Japanese drink among UK diners.

10 – Gekkeikan Nigori sake

This sake is brewed in Gekkeikan in Kyoto, established in 1637; their sakes are enjoyed in more than 50 countries worldwide but this one is unique, it has a milky colouring and a creamy texture; it is best served chilled from the bottle or on the rocks. It has a definite coconut taste and is best served with desserts; the brewers recommend a lemon curd tart.

9 – Matsuemon Shuppinshu

Brewed in the Hideyoshi brewery in Akita, these sakes are made nowhere else in the world as they are made with only local rice and water. This sake has been specially brewed for competition and has a chocolate-vanilla taste which is sweet to the palate. This Matsuemon is best served chilled and with miso based dishes, cheddar or blue cheese and grilled fish.

8 – Kotsuzumi Rojo-hana-ari

Made in the Nishiyama brewery of Hyogo, like number nine this sake has a distinct taste of white chocolate and vanilla, with the added boldness of banana, best served on the rocks and with dashi-rice dishes, parmesan cheese and creamy seafood.

7 – Zaku Miyabi-no-tomo

Brewed on the eastern coast of Japan the Shimizu brewery has traditional associations with sake brewing. This sake has beautifully sweet flavour and the aroma of white blossoms. Best served chilled it would be appreciated best served with cold appetisers or with a cheese board.

6 – Maibijin Junmaishu

With an earthy, woody taste this sake will be popular with Scotch drinkers. Made in the Mikawa Syuzoujyou brewery in Fukui, it has been brewed in cherry wood casks instead of the traditional cedar wood. This sake can be enjoyed at several different temperatures depending on your preference; it can either be served: chilled, at room temperature, warm or hot. Maibijin Junmaishu has a long after taste which accompanies grilled and spicy dishes best.

5 – Ninki-ichi sparkling sake

Made in the Ninki Shuzo brewery in Miyagi; this sparkling sake, the first of two in our top ten, has a delicate elderflower and succulent apple taste, perfect for first time sake drinkers this sake is best served chilled as an aperitif or with fresh fruit or sorbet.

4 – Junmaishu Urakasumi

Beautifully fresh and fruity, this sake has an elegant taste of peach, melon and pineapple. Produced in the Urakasumi brewery, again in Miyagi, established in 1724 this wonderfully fresh sake accompanies fresh seafood such as oysters and sushi perfectly. Junmaishu Urakasumi can be enjoyed chilled, at room temperature or warm.

3 – Dassai 23

The only super premium sake (daiginjo) on the list; Dassai 23 is at the top of its game. The rice is polished down to 23% and this particular sake is also a junmai; all of this means it is also the most expensive sake on the list, retailing at £95 a bottle this sake is at home in the Michelin starred restaurants in Paris. Dassai 23 has a full bodied floral aroma and has a refreshing smooth taste, not too dissimilar to a crisp dry white wine. Sake experts agree that all super premium sakes should be served chilled, which is usually between 10-15°C. Seafood accompanies this beverage very well, along with strongly flavoured cheeses.

2 – MIO sparkling sake

MIO is the second sparkling sake on the list. Made in the Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura brewery in Hyogo this sake is again perfect for beginners; although sake is taking the world by storm, in Japan it is sometimes still associated with older gentlemen; this sake has been strategically aimed at teens in Japan to try and create a younger generation of sake drinkers and help continue the tradition of sake in Japan. Lightly carbonated this low alcohol (5%) beverage should always be served chilled and best accompanies desserts such as fresh fruit cocktail or fruit sorbets.

1 – Gekkeikan Kirei Momoshu

The Winner of the public vote is another uniquely flavoured sake; perhaps appealing to the western palate because it is a peach sake liqueur which tastes very similar to peach schnapps. Gekkeikan Kirei Momoshu is produced by the same brewery as our number ten, Gekkeikan Nigori sake, and has very low alcohol content. Added to the blend of sake and white peach juice is 30mg of hyaluronic acid an ingredient often found in anti-wrinkle skincare products. This liqueur should be served chilled or on the rocks and works well as an aperitif or digestif. Surprisingly our winner is also one of the cheapest on the list retailing at the low price of £7.50 a bottle coming in second only to the MIO sparkling sake which retails at £7 a bottle.