Getting to know sake
Label terms, brewing methods, seasonal sake and how to enjoy it. With these, the differences between breweries become far more interesting.
Grades and polishing
What "junmai" and "ginjo" on a label mean: your first clue when choosing.
Polishing ratio (seimai buai)
The share of each rice grain left after polishing. At 60%, the outer 40% has been milled away. The outer layers carry more of the compounds that cloud flavour, so more polishing tends to give a cleaner, more aromatic sake.
Premium grades
- Junmai
- Made only from rice, koji and water. The rice speaks plainly.
- Ginjo
- Rice polished to 60% or less, fermented slowly at low temperature. Fruity aromas.
- Daiginjo
- Polished to 50% or less: ginjo taken further.
- Honjozo
- Polished to 70% or less, with a little distilled alcohol added for a lighter style.
"Junmai" on a label means no added alcohol. So "junmai daiginjo" is made from rice alone, polished to 50% or less.
Making: kimoto, yamahai, sokujo
The same rice tastes different depending on how the yeast starter is made. Terms you will meet on brewery pages.
Sake begins with a yeast starter called shubo or moto, to which rice, koji and water are added. Lactic acid protects the starter, and how that acid is obtained defines the method.
- Kimoto
- The traditional method: lactic bacteria living in the brewery are drawn in naturally, and the rice is ground by hand (yama-oroshi). Slow and laborious.
- Yamahai
- A kimoto-family method that drops the yama-oroshi grinding but still relies on the brewery’s own bacteria.
- Sokujo
- Lactic acid is added to make the starter quickly. Today’s mainstream; tends towards a cleaner style.
Kimoto-family sakes are often described as having more acidity and depth. In Akita, Ginrin’s Akita-style kimoto and the yamahai and kimoto of Kariho and Hiraizumi are well-known examples.
Sake through the seasons
New sake, summer sake, hiyaoroshi: sake has seasons, and shows a different face through the year.
Most sake is gently heated twice, after pressing and before bottling, to stabilise it. This is called hi-ire. How often, when, and how long the sake rests before release gives each season its own style.
New sake, shiboritate
The height of winter brewing: young sake, freshly pressed, straight from the brewery.
Spring releases
Winter-brewed sake settles and softens; seasonal bottles such as Harukasumi’s spring label.
Summer sake
Light and crisp, made to be served well chilled.
Hiyaoroshi
Pasteurised once in spring and matured over summer: autumn’s sake, for the harvest table.
- Nama
- Unpasteurised sake. Fresh aromas and flavour; keep refrigerated.
- Genshu
- Bottled without adding water after pressing. Richer and a little stronger.
- Muroka
- Not charcoal-filtered after pressing, so more of the rice’s savour remains.
Enjoying it: temperature and glass
Sake is delicious chilled or warmed; its character shifts with temperature.
Sake has lovely names for each serving temperature. Aromatic ginjo styles shine chilled, while rice-forward junmai and kimoto styles can open up when warmed.
Glassware
Beyond the small ochoko and guinomi cups, a wine glass is ideal for aroma. More breweries now design sake with the wine glass in mind.
With Akita food
Kiritanpo hotpot, shottsuru fish sauce, smoked iburigakko pickles: local food and local sake find each other naturally.