Nigori sake, also known as “cloudy sake,” is often what people think of when they hear the word sake. Nigori sake is characterized by its milky appearance, full-bodied mouthfeel, and sweet flavor profile. You might hear people call nigori “unfiltered,” but that’s technically not correct, since all sake is pressed and filtered before bottling.
The production process for nigori sake is the same as clear sake up until the pressing stage. While clear sake is finely filtered by being pressed through a cloth sieve, Nigori sake is coarsely filtered through a more porous cloth, allowing some rice solids into the final product. These starchy rice solids are what give nigori its characteristic look and feel.
Most nigori sake is best served chilled, and should always be shaken or swirled in the bottle before pouring. This allows the rice solids to reincorporate evenly throughout the sake, giving it a consistent flavor and texture.
As with clear sake, there are many possible variations of nigori. Rice variety, polishing ratio, yeast type, and starter method are just a few of the many factors sake brewers must consider.
Some nigori is light and thin, with very little rice sediment. This style is called usunigori. Another type of nigori is sasanigori, which is thicker than usunigori but still has a light mouthfeel due to the fineness of the rice solids used. Kasseinigori is unpasteurized nigori. It has a slightly sparkling texture due to active enzymes.
Most nigori sake, as with clear sake, has an RPR of 70% or less. Some nigori is extra premium, such as the Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo Nigori, which has an RPR of 45%. (To learn more about what RPR means, click the link at the bottom of this post.) The Dassai 45 exhibits the clean, floral flavor notes found in highly-polished sake, while also having the richness and fullness for which nigori sake is known.
My personal favorite nigori (so far) is the Amabuki Sakura Fubuki. It’s made with cherry blossom yeast and forbidden rice, which gives the sake a beautiful dark pink color and delicate hints of cherry flavor.
For a rich, indulgent drinking experience, check out our nigori selection and find your new favorite sake.
Our Products
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Kizakura Matcha Nigori$10.67 -
Homare Chocolat Nigori$12.81 -
Ben’s American Sake – Natural Nigori$20.36 -
Choryo Sawa Sawa Junmai Nigori Sparkling$16.16 -
Homare Strawberry Nigori$12.81 -
Heiwa Shuzou Nigori$49.18 -
Amabuki Sakura Fubuki Junmai “Rose” Sasanigori$35.98 -
Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo Nigori$55.23 -
Kumo Junmai Nigori$34.34