The best sake in Malaysia right now is the Hakutsuru Tokusen Junmai Ginjo (RM81), a smooth, food-friendly true sake that we reach for first when customers ask where to start. If you lean sweeter, the Ozeki Yuzu Umeshu (RM81) is our top umeshu pick, a citrus-bright plum liqueur that goes down easy over ice. The short version: sake is a brewed rice wine, dry and savoury, while umeshu is a plum-infused liqueur, sweet-tart and lower-key on the alcohol front.

This guide ranks 8 bottles from our Sake & Umeshu collection that we think are worth your ringgit, explains the difference between the two styles so you order the right one, and covers how to serve each so it actually tastes the way it should. Every bottle listed is available for same-day delivery across the Klang Valley when you order before 2PM on a working day, and everything we sell is 100% genuine, sourced straight from authorised distributors.

Sake vs Umeshu: What’s the Difference?

Both come from Japan, both sit in the same fridge shelf at our warehouse, and both get lumped together by first-time buyers. But they are genuinely different drinks. Sake is a brewed rice wine, made by fermenting polished rice, and it is dry, savoury, and built to go with a meal. Umeshu is a liqueur, made by steeping green ume plums (and sometimes a base spirit) in alcohol and sugar over months, and it comes out sweet-tart, fruity, and easy to sip on its own.

The practical difference shows up in how you drink them. Sake is usually served chilled with sushi or grilled fish, though some richer junmai styles work warm on a cooler evening. Umeshu is almost always served over ice, topped with soda or tonic, and it works as well before dinner as it does after. If you are new to Japanese drinks, umeshu is the friendlier on-ramp. If you already like a dry white wine, true sake will feel like familiar territory.

Style	What It Is	Typical ABV	How to Serve	Best For
Sake	Brewed rice wine, dry and savoury	13% to 16%	Chilled, or warm for some junmai styles	Pairing with food, sushi and izakaya nights
Umeshu	Plum-infused liqueur, sweet-tart	8% to 15%	Over ice, with soda or tonic	Aperitifs, sessionable sipping, dessert

The 8 Best Sake and Umeshu Bottles

We picked this 8 from across our Sake & Umeshu collection to cover both styles honestly, from a top-shelf daiginjo to an everyday plum liqueur. In-stock picks here run from RM81 to RM193. 

#	Bottle	Style	Size	Price	Best For
1	Hakutsuru Tokusen Junmai Ginjo	True sake	720ML	RM81	Best all-rounder / top sake pick
2	Asahi Shuzo Kubota Senju	True sake (dry honjozo)	720ML	RM115	Dry-sake lovers
3	Hakutsuru Sho Une Junmai Daiginjo	True sake (daiginjo)	720ML	RM116	Special occasions / top shelf
4	Hakutsuru Umeshu (currently out of stock)	Umeshu	500ML	RM62	Best-value entry (restocking)
5	Ozeki Yuzu Umeshu	Umeshu (yuzu)	500ML	RM81	Everyday crowd-pleaser / top umeshu pick
6	Ozeki Kanjuku Umeshu	Umeshu (ripe plum)	700ML	RM100	Richest plum flavour
7	Suntory Umeshu Tarushiage Yamazaki Taru Blend	Umeshu (cask-aged)	750ML	RM193	Premium splurge / Yamazaki-cask
8	Yatsushika Kabosu Liqueur	Citrus liqueur	640ML	RM110	Something different

1. Hakutsuru Tokusen Junmai Ginjo (RM81)

If you only buy one sake this year, make it this one. It is our best all-rounder and the bottle we point beginners and regulars towards alike.

The Hakutsuru Tokusen Junmai Ginjo (720ML, RM81) is a junmai ginjo, meaning it is brewed from rice alone with no added distilled alcohol, and polished to a level that brings out a lighter, fruitier profile. Serve it well chilled alongside sashimi, grilled fish, or really any Japanese meal you would order at your favourite izakaya. It is confirm a safe bet if you are buying sake for the first time.

2. Asahi Shuzo Kubota Senju (RM115)

Kubota is one of the more respected names among sake drinkers who already know what they like, and Senju is the entry point into that range.

The Asahi Shuzo Kubota Senju (720ML, RM115) is a dry honjozo-style sake with a small amount of distilled alcohol added, a technique that sharpens the finish and makes it food-friendlier than a pure junmai. If you find most sake a bit too soft, this is the bottle to hand you. It holds up well warm too, which most delicate ginjo styles cannot say.

3. Hakutsuru Sho Une Junmai Daiginjo (RM116)

This is the one to bring when you want to impress someone, a proper daiginjo at a price that does not require a special occasion budget.

The Hakutsuru Sho Une Junmai Daiginjo (720ML, RM116) is polished further than a standard ginjo, which is what gives daiginjo styles their signature elegance and clarity. It is a top-shelf pick for a dinner party or a gift, and it deserves a proper sake cup rather than a shot glass. Boleh tahan value for a daiginjo at this price point.

4. Hakutsuru Umeshu (RM62, currently out of stock)

This is normally our best-value entry umeshu, and demand for it has been steady enough that we are currently restocking. We are keeping it in this guide because it is worth waiting for.

The Hakutsuru Umeshu (500ML, RM62) is currently out of stock while we restock, so it is not buyable today, but it is the bottle we recommend once it is back for anyone who wants a straightforward, classic plum umeshu without paying for extra flourishes. Message Joyce on WhatsApp if you want to be notified when it lands.

5. Ozeki Yuzu Umeshu (RM81)

This is our top umeshu pick, and it is usually the first bottle we recommend to anyone who says they do not really drink sake but wants to try something Japanese.

The Ozeki Yuzu Umeshu (500ML, RM81) blends plum with yuzu citrus, which cuts through the sweetness and makes it far more sessionable than a straight umeshu. Pour it over ice with soda and a squeeze of lime and it is shiok on a hot KL evening. It is also the umeshu we would pick first for a house party, since it plays well with people who do not usually drink Japanese spirits.

6. Ozeki Kanjuku Umeshu (RM100)

“Kanjuku” means fully ripened, and this umeshu earns the name. It is the richest, most plum-forward bottle on this list.

The Ozeki Kanjuku Umeshu (700ML, RM100) is made with fully ripened plums rather than the green ume used in most umeshu, which gives it a deeper, almost jammy sweetness. It is a lovely pour on its own after dinner, over ice, no mixer needed. If you already know you like umeshu and want to trade up from an everyday bottle, this is the move.

7. Suntory Umeshu Tarushiage Yamazaki Taru Blend (RM193)

This is our premium splurge pick, and it is the one that gets Japanese-whisky fans curious about umeshu for the first time.

The Suntory Umeshu Tarushiage Yamazaki Taru Blend (750ML, RM193) is aged in casks that previously held Suntory’s Yamazaki whisky, according to Suntory, which pulls in warm oak, vanilla, and a whisky-adjacent depth that most umeshu simply do not have. If you already love our Japanese-whisky picks, this bottle sits right at that intersection. It is terror sipped neat over one big ice cube, more like a dessert whisky than a typical umeshu.

8. Yatsushika Kabosu Liqueur (RM110)

Let us be upfront: this last one is not a sake or an umeshu. It is a citrus liqueur, and we are including it as a bonus for anyone who wants to try something different.

The Yatsushika Kabosu Liqueur (640ML, RM110) is made from kabosu, a Japanese citrus fruit similar to a tart lime, and it makes a genuinely lobang highball, sharp and refreshing with soda and ice. If your table is already ordering umeshu, this is a great palate cleanser to have alongside it, one that skips the plum sweetness entirely.

How to Serve Sake and Umeshu

Sake and umeshu are not interchangeable when it comes to serving, and getting it right makes a real difference. Ginjo and daiginjo sakes, like our #1 and #3 picks, are best served chilled in a small ceramic cup or a wine glass, cold enough to keep their delicate fruit and floral notes crisp. Dry honjozo styles, like the #2 Kubota Senju, can handle being served warm too, which softens the alcohol and brings out a rounder, savoury character.

Umeshu is a different game entirely. Pour it over a generous amount of ice in a rocks glass and top it with soda water for a classic umeshu highball, light, fizzy, and easy to keep sipping through the evening. Prefer something a bit more herbal? Try it with tonic water instead of soda, the bitterness balances the plum sweetness nicely. For a richer umeshu like our Ozeki Kanjuku pick, skip the mixer altogether and drink it neat over one large ice cube, closer to how you would treat a dessert wine.

What to Pair With Sake and Umeshu

Sake’s dry, savoury profile makes it a natural match for Japanese staples: sashimi, grilled fish, tempura, and miso-based dishes all work beautifully with a chilled junmai ginjo. Umeshu, being sweeter and more forward, pairs well with lighter bites and desserts, think grilled skewers, edamame, or a simple fruit plate to close the night.

Here in Malaysia, we would also point you towards our Malaysian-Chinese food pairing guide for ideas on matching sake and umeshu with local favourites rather than only Japanese fare. If your table is doing steamboat, our steamboat pairing guide covers which bottles work best with a hotpot spread. If the Suntory Yamazaki-cask umeshu piqued your interest in Japanese whisky, our Hibiki vs Yamazaki guide is the natural next stop.

Last updated July 2026.