Sake + Temperature: A Heated Debate (September 2026)

This month’s bottles: Sankan Triple Crown Junmai Ginjo + Toko Sun Rise Junmai Ginjo

Is warm sake bad? Should all good sake be enjoyed chilled? What does temperature actually do to the flavors in sake?

These are all great questions that we hear often at our shop and bar. Because of these questions, Kayoko and I dedicated a whole section in our book Everyday Sake to temperature (see pages 2-3 of this newsletter for an excerpt). It also led me to come up with the theme for this month, where we try two sakes at two different temperatures and share our tasting notes.

To accompany the theme for this month, we’ll host an event Exploring Sake + Temperature with Bella Pearson of the Kome Collective on September 19 at our bar. There will be two sessions and we will try four sakes at different temperatures, plus have two special ones just for the fun of it! In addition to discussing how the flavors change in the sakes we try, we will also discuss how to bring your sakes up and down to temperature. Join us!

So how does temperature actually affect the flavors in sake? In general, colder temperatures preserve fresh, fruity aromas and crisp acidity. That is why namas, and more delicate styles like daiginjos tend to be served chilled. On the flipside, warmer temperatures enhance complex, savory aromas and flavors to blossom while mellowing out the sharpness a sake may have. Ideal contenders for warm sake are fuller bodied sakes like junmais, yamahais, and kimotos.

Akin to how we like to drink crisp, light lagers and Sauvignon Blancs chilled, fruity namas or refreshing ginjos are ideal chilled. Drinking an earthy yamahai honjozo or kimoto junmai at a higher temperature would be appropriate, similar to how we may have a complex stout or full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon at room temperature. Sake has a higher temperature threshold than many other beverages, but the underlying concepts are the same across all drinks.

We hope you try the sakes at different temperatures this month. I’m doing something a little different and presenting my tasting notes based on two temperature experiences. You don’t have to agree, but the experiment may surprise you!

Kanpai,
Yoko

SILVER + GOLD

Sankan Triple Crown Junmai Ginjo
Sankan Shuzo Brewery (Okayama, Japan)
Seimaibuai: Omachi 55%, SMV: +6, ABV: 16%

Triple Crown is brewed by Sankan Shuzo in Okayama using a particularly prized strain of Omachi rice called Akaiwa Bizen, farmed with oyster shells mixed into the soil — which may explain why this sake carries an earthy minerality. As our Sake + Temperature bottle of the month, we encourage you to try it both ways: chilled, it shows nice acidity with the crisp tartness of green apple and grapefruit, a subtle minerality, and a touch of earthiness. Warm it up and the aroma shifts toward green beans, with flavors of baked apple, baking spice, and savory depth. Drink it chilled for brightness, or warm it up to bring out its savory side.

GOLD

Toko Sun Rise Junmai Ginjo
Kojima Sohonten (Yamagata, Japan)
Seimaibuai: Dewasansan 55%, SMV: +1, ABV: 15%

Kojima Sohonten in Yamagata Prefecture, established in 1597, is one of the oldest known breweries in Japan and a pioneer in sustainable brewing — the brewery runs carbon neutral, powered by 100% recycled renewable energy made from sake lees. Chilled, this sake opens with aromas of koji, fig, and herbs, leading into a clean, dry palate with notes of dried apricot. Warmed, it turns even more expressive — aromas of dried fruit, cardamom, and mango chutney, with flavors of honey and savory umami leading to a dry finish. More fun warm! Enjoy it warm paired with shiozake (salted salmon) or salty olives.