saketaku

What's in the box: A monthly bottle of hand-picked craft sake, plus a snack that goes with it, a tasting sheet and a brewery magazine, with occasional extras like glassware.

saketaku is a Japanese sake subscription that sends a monthly bottle picked by its specialists. They say they choose from about 15,000 sakes across Japan and focus on flavor and rarity. Past picks shown on the site come from small regional breweries: Nakashimaya from Yamaguchi, Seikou from Takenoi Shuzo in Yamanashi, Hanahato from Enoki Shuzo in Hiroshima and Narutotai from Honke Matsuura in Tokushima. That points to craft labels you probably won't find at a supermarket. Each delivery also comes with a snack chosen to go with the sake, a tasting sheet and a magazine about the brewery. Glassware and other sake goods are also offered as free extras. You can't find out the bottle ahead of time because the surprise is part of the idea, so drinkers with firm preferences should keep that in mind. You can switch between plans, for example from two bottles to one, and you can skip a month or cancel at any time. If you aren't happy, the first delivery is covered by a full refund guarantee. Shipping is free within Japan. Subscriptions are paid by credit card only unless you contact support for another option. The service is built for Japan, and the site does not say whether it ships abroad. Overall it is a well-rounded discovery box for curious beginners and regular sake fans living in Japan.