Along with daiginjo, junmai daiginjo is widely considered to be the most premium type of sake. The rice is polished down to 50% or less of the original grain, which requires time, precision and resources. Because of this, junmai daiginjo results in some of the most elegant, clean-tasting sake in existence. It also means that the price tag is generally higher than other sake categories; — at Palate Project, anywhere between $30 and $63,000 a bottle.

Asahi-Shuzo is a brewing company whose Dassai brand has become world famous for consisting exclusively of exquisite junmai daiginjo, like their flagship product Dassai “23.”

Another brewery that takes the junmai daiginjo-only approach is Tatenokawa Brewing Company, who offers one-of-a-kind collaboration sake with renowned musical artists, as well as a bottle with the incredible rice polishing ratio of 1%. Katoukichibee Shouten is another brewery with highly acclaimed, kosher-certified junmai daiginjo products — Born “Chogin” is even served at Japan’s Imperial Court! 

The majority of junmai daiginjo are served chilled, so pair them with light fare such as salads, sushi and oysters