Quick answer: sake grades explained simply: they come down to two things — how much of the rice grain was polished away before brewing (the lower the percentage remaining, the more refined), and whether a small amount of distilled alcohol was added. Grade is not a quality ranking — a well-made Junmai can easily outclass a mediocre Daiginjo. It tells you a style, not a score.
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Sake Grades Explained: The Two Variables Behind Every Grade
1. Seimaibuai (rice-polishing ratio): this is the percentage of the rice grain remaining after the outer layers are milled away. A seimaibuai of 60% means 40% of the grain was polished off. Lower numbers generally mean a lighter, more fragrant sake, and a higher price — more of the rice (and more labor) is lost in polishing.
2. Added alcohol: some sake has a small amount of distilled brewer’s alcohol added during production, which is a traditional technique that can sharpen aroma and lighten body. Sake with zero added alcohol — just rice, water, koji, and yeast — is labeled Junmai (“pure rice”).
Every major grade name is really just a combination of these two variables.
Sake Grades at a Glance
| Grade | Seimaibuai | Added Alcohol? | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futsu-shu (table sake) | No requirement | Yes, often more | Everyday, inexpensive, most common style in Japan |
| Honjozo | 70% or less | Yes, small amount | Light, easy-drinking, often served warm |
| Tokubetsu Honjozo | Below 70%, or special rice/method | Yes, small amount | A step up from standard Honjozo |
| Junmai | No minimum requirement | No | Full-bodied, savory, rice-forward |
| Tokubetsu Junmai | Below 70%, or special rice/method | No | A step up from standard Junmai |
| Ginjo | 60% or less | Yes, small amount | Aromatic, fruity, lighter body |
| Junmai Ginjo | 60% or less | No | Aromatic and full-bodied — a popular all-rounder |
| Daiginjo | 50% or less | Yes, small amount | Highly refined, delicate, fragrant |
| Junmai Daiginjo | 50% or less | No | The most refined tier, most labor-intensive to produce |
“Tokubetsu” (special) isn’t a legally defined percentage — it signals the brewery used notably better rice, a lower polishing ratio than the standard grade requires, or a special production method, at their own discretion.
Junmai: The “Pure Rice” Family
Junmai means no distilled alcohol was added — just rice, water, koji mold, and yeast. As of a 2004 regulation update, plain Junmai has no minimum polishing requirement, which is why you’ll see Junmai sake at a wide range of price points and refinement levels. Expect a fuller body, more rice character, and often a slight acidity compared to non-Junmai styles at the same polish level.
Honjozo: Light and Traditional
Honjozo requires rice polished to 70% or less, with a small amount of brewer’s alcohol added. The added alcohol isn’t a shortcut or a quality compromise — it’s a deliberate technique that can smooth out the finish and slightly boost aroma. Honjozo is a classic candidate for serving warm, historically one of the more everyday, food-friendly styles.
Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo: The Aromatic Middle Ground
Ginjo requires rice polished to 60% or less, and is fermented at cooler temperatures over a longer period specifically to develop pronounced fruity aromatics — think banana, apple, melon, or pear. Junmai Ginjo is the same polishing requirement without added alcohol, and it’s often cited as one of the most approachable, all-purpose styles: aromatic enough to be interesting, full-bodied enough to pair with food. Our sake for beginners guide leans on this style for exactly that reason.
Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo: The Top Tier
Daiginjo requires rice polished to 50% or less — meaning at least half the grain is milled away before brewing even starts. It’s the most labor- and rice-intensive grade to produce, which is reflected in the price. Junmai Daiginjo adds the “no alcohol” rule on top of that polishing requirement, generally considered the most refined, delicate expression of what a rice and koji alone can produce. These are the grades most often reserved for special occasions or gifting.
Futsu-shu: The Everyday Majority
Futsu-shu, or “normal sake,” has no special polishing or ingredient requirements and makes up the majority of sake actually consumed in Japan day to day. It’s rarely exported or marketed to English-speaking audiences, which is part of why the grades above (Junmai through Daiginjo) dominate the conversation outside Japan — they’re what actually gets bottled for the export and premium market.
A Common Myth: Higher Grade Doesn’t Mean Better Sake
It’s tempting to treat this list as a quality ladder with Junmai Daiginjo at the top, but grade describes a production method and style, not a quality score. A well-made Junmai from a skilled brewery can be more enjoyable — and more interesting — than a mediocre Daiginjo. Grade tells you what to expect in terms of body, aroma, and price; it doesn’t guarantee you’ll like it more.
Browse Our Sake Guides
Grade is only one piece of choosing a bottle. Here’s everything else we’ve covered, grouped by what you’re actually trying to figure out.
Bottle reviews & comparisons: Best Sake for Beginners, Dassai 45, Dassai 39, Dassai 23, Dassai 23 vs Dassai 39, Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, Hakkaisan vs Dassai, Kikusui Perfect Snow Nigori, Best Nigori Sake, Best Sake for Warm Sake, Hiyaoroshi (Autumn Sake), and Godzilla Sake.
Grades, upkeep & how sake compares to other drinks: Junmai vs Ginjo, Ginjo vs Daiginjo, Junmai vs Honjozo, Does Sake Expire?, Sake vs Wine, Shochu vs Sake, and Umeshu Explained.
Serving, gear & gifts: Best Sake Cups, Best Sake Sets (Tokkuri & Ochoko), Best Sake Warmers, Best Masu Sake Boxes, Best Otsumami (Snacks to Pair with Sake), Best Japanese Sake Gifts, Japanese Airport Duty-Free Guide, and Best Books About Japanese Whisky and Sake.
Looking for a bottle to try? Browse sake at Palate Project →
FAQ
Which grade should a beginner start with?
Junmai Ginjo is a common recommendation — aromatic enough to be interesting, full-bodied enough to feel substantial. See our sake for beginners guide for specific bottle picks.
Is Nigori a grade?
No — Nigori (unfiltered, cloudy sake) is a style that can be made at various grades, most commonly Junmai. It describes filtration, not the rice-polishing or alcohol variables covered here.
Does a lower seimaibuai always mean a better sake?
No. It generally means a lighter, more fragrant, more expensive style — but “better” depends entirely on what you’re looking for and how well it was made, not just how much rice was polished away.
Why does added alcohol get such a bad reputation?
Mostly historical baggage — cheap, low-quality alcohol was sometimes added to inferior sake after WWII to stretch supply, which gave “added alcohol” an undeserved bad name. The small, precise amounts added in Honjozo, Ginjo, and Daiginjo today are a legitimate traditional technique, not a shortcut.
Sake grades are entirely a brewing-and-polishing question; they don’t apply to shochu at all, since shochu is distilled rather than brewed. If you’ve seen both terms used interchangeably, our shochu vs sake guide covers why they’re not the same category of drink.
Final Thoughts
With sake grades explained this way, the whole system boils down to two questions: how much was the rice polished, and was alcohol added? Everything else — Junmai, Honjozo, Ginjo, Daiginjo, and the Tokubetsu and Junmai variations of each — is just a combination of those two answers. Once that clicks, reading a sake label gets a lot less intimidating. For actual bottle recommendations across these styles, see our sake for beginners guide, and once you’ve picked one, our guide to tokkuri and ochoko sake sets covers how to serve it properly.