Rihaku Nigori Dreamy Clouds Tokubetsu Junmai NV 720ML

Rihaku — named for the 8th-century Chinese poet Li Po, who drank a big bottle of sake and wrote a hundred poems — boasts one of the highest average milling rates of all Japanese sake breweries. Each bottle in their portfolio is made with a different type of sake rice, and the precision shows.

Dreamy Clouds is milled to 59%, which technically qualifies it as Junmai Ginjo grade — a rare quality level for a nigori (cloudy) sake. Most nigori sits in the entry tier; this one punches two weight classes above its price. It's an opportunity to move nigori drinkers forward without losing the texture they love.

This is an usu-nigori — only slightly cloudy — which gives it a brighter, leaner profile than the thick, sweet nigori you see at every grocery store. You get a gentle creamy texture and sweet rice flavors, but also nutty and slightly fruity characteristics, with melon, salty herbs, and crisp green apple on the nose. The palate is round and rich, wrapped in surprising elegance. Multi-layered, with pronounced acidity and a subtle sweetness that finishes dry.

Uber food-friendly: pairs with delicate sushi, mushroom dishes, briny foods, and spice. A great match for spicy pad thai. 90 points from Cellar Tracker.