Kikusui's original Funaguchi is a nama genshu in canned format: unpasteurized, undiluted, and at 19% ABV. Its flavor is full and dense, with steamed rice, toasted nut, and tropical fruit notes that hold their own against bold, fatty, or spicy dishes. This is not a delicate sake—it is built for situations where you want something with real presence.
Editor's Note
An acquired taste for those who prefer understated sake, but exactly right if you want something that stands up to fatty or intensely flavored food. The canned format is surprisingly practical.
Quick Reference
Best for
Drinkers who want a full-bodied, high-ABV sake that can stand up to bold, fatty, or intensely flavored food.
Taste in brief
Heavy and dense at 19% ABV—steamed rice, hazelnuts, and tropical fruit on a full body.
Serving
Serve cold. The high alcohol and richness need the cold to stay balanced.
Food pairing
Built for bold food—fatty grilled meat, spicy stir-fry, aged cheese, or anything that would overwhelm a lighter sake.
Why it stands out
At 19% ABV in a convenient canned format, this is one of the most unapologetically full-bodied sake available in the US market.
Character
Technical profile
Details shown only when verified against a reliable source.
- Rice variety
- Gohyakumangoku
- Rice polishing ratio
- 55%
- Pasteurization
- Nama (unpasteurized)
- Dilution
- Genshu (undiluted)
- Brewing features
- Canned
- Alcohol by volume
- 19.0
- Sake meter value
- -4
- Acidity
- 1.7
Confidence: high
Food Pairings
- fatty grilled meat
- spicy stir-fry
- aged hard cheese
- cheeseburger
Best Served
Sources
- https://tippsysake.com/products/kikusui-funaguchi (internal_only)