Honjozo is generally lighter-bodied and smoother than junmai. The added alcohol also reduces rice grain flavours and makes honjozo a less fragrant sake.

However, it’s the second one cuppa I especially liked: Kizakura Tsu no Honjozo. It’s a honjozo sake like Kikusui Funaguchi but with a twist. Ozeki One Cup and Kikusui Funaguchi are two iconic single-serving sake and have been available in the UK for some time. But I have noticed a few new entries in the category in a recent couple of years from also very reputable le breweries. One of them, Kizakura, from the Fushimi district in Kyoto has actually two offerings. First is also futsushu like Ozeki One Cup with a clever Kizakura Kappa Cup 200 name and a very cute label. 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. 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. As a general guide, Futsushu & Honjozo grades should be gently warmed to 50°C, Junmai served at room temperature or gently warmed to between 30 and 40 degrees, and Ginjo, Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo & Junami Daiginjo are best served chilled between 0 and 5°.

How to choose the perfect sake for beginners: A quick buyer's guide

Buy sake online in the UK, from well known Japanese sake brands like Ozeki and even sparkling sake for special occasions. This is also where you'll find Japanese sake for cooking to use in dishes like ramen and yakitori. Another cool thing about Ozeki One Cup is that its design was developed by two university professors this label is still used today.

So is Ozeki One Cup good, given that’s futsushu? Yes, it is actually a very enjoyable sake for the price. You won’t find the elegance of ginjo aroma or complexity of junmai sake here. Ozeki One Cup is a simple and fresh sake with a very mild aroma, where you might notice some ricey and earthy notes with a tiny wee of fruitiness. It’s slightly sweet with a bit of acidity and marmelady undertones, a bit of plum and umami. Honjozo sakes have two characteristics: a rice polishing rate of 70%, and a tiny amount of alcohol added after fermentation. Polishing rate is how much rice and outer rice bran is polished away during the milling process. The higher the polishing rate, the more intense the rice flavours in the sake. The added alcohol highlights and lift other flavours and aromas in the sake. This makes a lighter and more fragrant - though not more alcoholic - drink, perfect for drinking throughout the meal.

Top sake recommendations

Execution of a Sustainability Partner Contract with the Japan Sumo Association 12.07, 2020 A World First of Sake to Celebrate Diversity! 09.27, 2019 Celebrating 40 years as the first sake producer in America In general, however, junmai offers a full-body smoothness with savory rice-infused flavors and minor acidity. Honjozo

Of course, you don’t want a big sake bottle. And again, it’s on the train, so you can’t mess with pouring sake into a glass. Enen on a super comfortable Japanese shinkansen (a bullet train) you risk having half of the sake splashing all over the place. Ponshukan Sake Museum at Nagaoka Train Station (courtesy to https://na-nagaoka.jp/) 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.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. Koshu is the term given to Japanese sake that's been aged for more than one year up to about 5 years. Koshu is stronger tasting, earthier, and more umami than other sake varieties. With over 2,500 years of history behind it, it's no surprise that buying the perfect Japanese sake is anything but easy.