I'm a tourist going to japan by the end of september. Not a regular drinker but have lots of family and friends who are. İt will be their first sakes and I think they'll keep being free-drinkers of all alcohol instead of focusing on one type.

so I'm looking for ones that will be good for a one-time event. can also be the beginner-friendly options.

I'm a certified sake sommelier (kikisake-shi) and I kept noticing beginners get overwhelmed by labels, regions, and rice-polishing percentages before they even taste anything.

So I wrote up the SSI's four flavor-style framework (aromatic / airy & velvety / full-bodied / matured) as a starting point — no Japanese terms required, just "what do you already enjoy?"

Full article here if useful— here

Curious what type most of you naturally gravitate toward — I'd guess airy & velvety is the most common "gateway" style for people new to sake?