“Dai” means great or big; “ginjo” is the upper echelon of sake. Daiginjo is the highest, the ultimate. To qualify as a daiginjo, the rice must be polished to 50% or less of its original size. Sake makers get rid of at least half of the raw ingredient they start with. This makes daiginjo’s elegant, refined and delicious.

In Japan, Joto Daiginjo is sold under the Maboroshi brand as their “white box” Daiginjo. Maboroshi Daiginjo is made using an apple yeast that the brewery discovered in the 1940’s. This is the least expensive of the three daiginjos in this line and is an incredible value for this level of sake. Hints of crushed sage on the nose, spiced apple on the palate, finishes with a supple satin texture.