WHAT IS PREMIUM SAKE?
Ginjo Sake Equals Premium Sake
The term "Ginjo" is synonomous with premium sake, the type of sake exported by eSake's brewers. Ginjo is not a
brand name. It is a style (a grade, category, class) of sake. Ginjo sake is to regular sake what single malt scotch is to regular scotch, or what 100% agave tequila is
to regular tequila. Only 8% to 9% of all sake brewed is Ginjo grade. If you see the term "Ginjo" anywhere on the label, it means the sake you're about to drink is better
than 90% of all sake out there.
Premium versus Non-Premium Sake
Only the highest grades of sake are exported to the USA 
For more on the various grades of sake,
please visit the Sake Parameters page.
To visit eSake.com, please click here. Ginjo Classification
Government regulations strictly define the meaning of the Ginjo classification. First
and foremost is rice milling, which greatly influences the final taste. To legally qualify as a Ginjo (premium) sake, at least the outer 40% of the grain must be milled away.
For Daiginjo (super premium sake) at least the outer 50% of the rice kernel must be milled away. See below chart for more details. On top of that, special rice (not table
rice), special yeast, lower fermentation temperatures, longer periods of fermentation, and other labor-intensive techniques must be painstakingly followed in brewing Ginjo-level sake.
Best Enjoyed Chilled
Premium Ginjo sake is much more delicate, balanced, fragrant, and complex than non-premium sake (sake with less stringent milling requirements). That's why Ginjo
sake is best enjoyed slightly chilled, for warming or overchilling premium sake tends to mask or destroy its refined flavors. When you warm a premium sake, you bludgeon
its true taste -- you're essentially destroying the flavor intended by the brewer.
Caveats
In Japan, the concept "Ginjo Equals Premium" is authentic and widespread, yet there
are a few drawbacks to this concept. First, some "non-Ginjo" sake are classified as premium sake -- namely Honjozo, Tokubetsu Honjozo, Junmai, and Tokubetsu
Junmai. Although these products fall just below the Ginjo category, they are nonetheless very much premium (at least the outer 30% of the rice kernel is milled
away). Second, Ginjo-level sake comes in various subclasses -- namely Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo, as well as Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo. The differences among these subclasses are not clearly conveyed.
For more on the various grades of sake,
please visit the Sake Parameters page  
Happy Sake Sipping
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