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 (aruco-ru, 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 milling percentage refers to how much of the rice grain is left after being polished

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Useful tips for selecting sake:

• The more the rice is milled (the smaller the percentage number is) the lighter and clearer the flavour profile will be.

• Adding alcohol to sake doesn't raise the alcohol percentage (sake is usually diluted with water) but will help round up its flavour

• Junmai sake tends to have better umami whilst non-junmai sake has a rounder and more 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 gives it a deeper and richer flavour.

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Yamahai　山廃

Another older brewing method. Less labor-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 the cloudyness.  Nigori sake is obtained by pressing the mash through a coarse-mesh filter. Not to be confused with unfiltered sake; the filtering process is done with activated charcoal that removes the extra colour and flavours.  

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Koshu & Choki Jukuseishu　古酒　長期熟成酒 

Aged sake. It tends to have an amber colour and a deeper flavour. 

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Sparkling sake 　

A new 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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