Sake Types

Sake is about 15% alcohol and it’s typically enjoyed during meals.

There are several types of sake, divided into 2 big categories: junmai and non-junmai, or aruten in sake-slang. Aruten comes from aru, short for arukōru アルコール (which is the way Japanese pronounce the word alcohol) and ten, short for tenka 添加 (which means addition).

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Junmai sake is made with rice, yeast, koji mold (the spore responsible for the saccharification), and water.

Non-junmai is made by adding distilled alcohol to the mix.

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The percentage refers to how much of the rice grain is left after being polished

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When choosing sake remember that:

• The more the rice is milled the lighter and smoother the sake will be.

• Adding alcohol to sake doesn't raise the alcohol percentage (sake is usually diluted with water) but will help rounding up its flavour. Junmai types of sake tends to have a better umami whilst non-junmai sake have a rounder and elegant flavour.

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Other types of sake

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Tokubetsu Junmai 特別純米 & Tokubetsu Honjozo 特別本醸造

Tokubetsu in Japanese means special. There are several reasons why a sake can be special. Usually it has to do with the milling ratio or the type of rice used. 

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Kimoto 生酛

one of the oldest brewing methods. Made with a specific technique that give it a deeper and richer flavour.

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Yamahai　山廃

another older brewing method. Less labour-intense than kimoto, gives sake a similar deep and rich flavour.

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Namazake　生酒

unpasteurized sake. Namazake tends to be lively & brash.

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Nigori　にごり

cloudy sake. There are several kinds of nigori depending on how cloudy they are.  Nigori sake is obtained by pressing the mash through a coarse-mesh filter.

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Koshu & Choki Jukuseishu　古酒　長期熟成酒 

aged sake. It tends to have an amber color and a deeper flavour. 

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Sparkling sake 　

a newer addition to the sake market, it often has a lower alcohol content. 

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Taruzake　樽酒

aged or made in wood barrel (quite rare)

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Genshu　原酒 

undiluted sake. Usually stronger than regular sake, it can be up to 20% alcohol content.

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Kijoshu 貴醸酒

often referred to as fortified sake, it's made by replacing some of the water with sake during production 

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