Best Nigori Sake: Reviews + Recommendations

Looking for a satisfying & unique way to enjoy Japan's most popular spirit? Tempt your tastebuds with the best nigori sake.

Nigori sake (nigori-zake) is a variety Japanese sake that's unfiltered. Unlike many other top-rated sakes, nigori is cloudy rather than clear. It's thanks to fine unfermented rice particles remaining from brewing process.

In general, nigori tends to be sweeter than other main sake varieties. (Except for flavored sake, of course!) Besides the dash of sweetness, you'll experience a distinctively creamier texture while drinking nigori-zake. Its mouthfeel is more robust than with most ginjo or daiginjo sakes.

Not sure where to start? Check out these top-rated nigori sakes...

Top nigori sake recommendations

Tozai Snow Maiden

One of the best introductions to nigori, Tozai Snow Maiden is a favorite among everyday sake drinkers and critics alike.

While sipping this top-rated nigori sake, you'll fall in love with its full-bodied, creamy texture. It's perfectly aligned with its wintry name.

The "snowy" mouthfeel expands to fruity, rice-like aromatics. In this cloudy sake, you'll also catch pear and melon overtones with a slightly nutty finish.

Tozai Snow Maiden is surprisingly dry for a nigori. It pairs well with meats and seafood, bringing out subtle spicy and savory flavors.

Hakutsuru Sayuri

A delightful pink bottle hints at the spring-like playfulness of Hakutsuru Sayuri, one of the top-rated nigori sakes.

Slight floral and strawberry notes punctuate the aromatics in this lighter-than-normal nigori-zake. As you savor each creamy sip, you'll love the smooth fruity and cherry blossom notes striking your tongue.

Thanks to its subtle sweetness and mild acidity, Hakutsuru Sayuri is a great match for dessert. It's also an excelling pairing for spicy fish and meat dishes.

Yaegaki Nigori

The award-winning Yaegaki Nigori is a great choice for beginners to the world of nigori-zake. It's neither too sweet nor too rich. Yaegaki strikes a perfect balance while charming sippers with its light-to-medium mouthfeel.

Within its mildly creamy texture, you'll uncover tones of melon and mango. You can also pick out faint hints of pineapple.

The crafty Yaegaki Nigori pairs superbly with bold & spicy foods as well as desserts.

Rihaku Dreamy Clouds

One of the only nigori sakes to qualify as a junmai ginjo, Rihaku Dreamy Clouds is as fanciful as its quixotic name implies.

This light-bodied and dry nigori uses a rice grain polished to 59% of its original size. It's feat often reserved for premium sake and uncommon among unfiltered sakes.

Rihaku Dreamy Clouds brings forth a notable complexity and brightness often missing in nigori sake. It flaunts whispers of plum, roasted nuts, and a splash of yuzu, a tangy Asian citrus fruit.

Paired with spicy & salty fish and seafood, this high-quality nigori truly shines.

Kurosawa Nigori

A brighter-than-average sweetness pervades every drop of Kurosawa Nigori. Brewed in the alpine Nagano Prefecture, this creamy nigori-zake delivers fruity aromatics. They reminisce of green apple and nectarines.

As you sip this junmai nigori, you'll grasp a dash of melon infused with cucumber.

The medium body of Kurosawa Nigori makes it the perfect companion for spicy shrimp, scallop or squid dishes. It also pairs well with BBQ'ed meat.

Dassai 45 Nigori

Hitting a high note as the only junmai daiginjo in this list, Dassai 45 Nigori strikes a masterful balance. This unfiltered sake is neither too creamy nor too dry.

The Dassai 45 nigori-zake also offers less sweetness than most others. Its sweeter notes are sprung forth by the drink's mild acidity.

The aromatics unleash a flurry of juicy fruitiness. Traces of cantaloupe, peach, plum and apple taking centre stage in both the nose and the tasting.

Although it's only mildly sweet and light-bodied, Dassai 45 Nigori slots in as a fantastic aperitif paired with dessert. As it borders on super premium sake territory, serve chilled.

Momokawa Organic Ginjo Nigori

If organic sake is your jam, Momokawa Organic Ginjo Nigori is the best-of-the-best in the unfiltered sake category.

This award-winning American sake blends the smoothness of a ginjo with the creaminess of a top-notch nigori. The flavor profile reveals a coconut and pineapple fusion with slight hints of banana at the tip.

Thanks to its above-average acidity, Momokawa Organic Ginjo Nigori pairs well with spicy noodle soups. It's also a hit with savory meat & seafood plates, and tropical fruit.

Shichi Hon Yari Nigori

Shichi Hon Yari Nigori qualifies a high-quality junmai ginjo with its 60% rice polishing ratio. It matches the creaminess of unfiltered sake with a bright plunge of tropical fruits. In the brew, you'll detect hints of mango, pineapple, and coconut.

This small-batch craft sake is brewed in Shiga Prefecture with two local rice varieties (Tamazakae and Ginfubuki).

Shichi Hon Yari features both a moderate sweetness and acidity. This bottle of sake is the perfect pairing for everything from rich & spicy meat dishes to dessert.