Sake

Question 1

What is unique about sake fermentation?

Answer 1

Made by Multiple Parallel Fermentation: the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occurs simultaneously.

Question 2

What enables MPF in sake, and what is it referred to as?

Answer 2

Aspergillus oryzae, a green, powdery mold. Commonly called koji-kin.

Question 3

What is the popular type of rice for sake?

Answer 3

Yamada Nishiki

Question 4

Why do they mill sake rice?

Answer 4

To remove the protein-rich outer shell, revealing the starchy heart of the rice.

Question 5

What is shinpaku?

Answer 5

The heart of the rice grain.

Question 6

What is seimaibuai?

Answer 6

The degree to which the rice has been milled.

Question 7

What is required for junmai?

Answer 7

The producer must print seimaibuai on the label, and use only water, rice, and koji (no brewers alcohol).
THERE IS NO LONGER A REQUIRED SEMAIBUAI FOR JUNMAI.

Question 8

What is required for ginjo?

Answer 8

The grain is 40% polished.

Question 9

What is required for daiginjo?

Answer 9

The grain is 50% polished.

Question 10

If a sake is labeled ginjo or daiginjo without the modifier of junmai, what does that mean?

Answer 10

The sake is honjozo in style.

Question 11

What does honjozo imply?

Answer 11

The addition of brewer’s alcohol (pure distillate).

Honjozo-shu does require a minimum semaibuai of 30%.

Question 12

What is koji?

Answer 12

Milled and steamed rice that has been inoculated with koji-kin.

Question 13

What is moto?

Answer 13

The starter for sake: koji, yeast, additional rice, and water.

Question 14

How long does the moto develop before fermentation?

Answer 14

Two weeks

Question 15

How many times are koji, water, and steamed rice added to the moto?

Answer 15

Three times

Question 16

What is moromi?

Answer 16

The fermenting mash: moto, with successive additions of water, rice, and koji, which ferments for up to 45 days.

Question 17

T/F: Sake is typically filtered and pasteurized.

Answer 17

TRUE

Question 18

What is namazake?

Answer 18

Unpasteurized sake

Question 19

How is special designation or premium sake labeled?

Answer 19

Tokutei meisho-shu
This is the top six grades of sake: Honjozo-shu, ginjo-shu, daiginjo-shu, junmai-shu, junmai-ginjo-shu, junmai-daiginjo-shu

Question 20

What is moruka?

Answer 20

Pressed sake that has been separated from the less, but not carbon-filtered.

Question 21

What is nigorizake?

Answer 21

Unfiltered sake (or sometimes filtered sake with the lees added back in)

Question 22

What is seishu?

Answer 22

Clear/Clean sake

Question 23

What is the name for aged sake?

Answer 23

Koshu

Question 24

What is shiboritate?

Answer 24

Freshly pressed - sake shipped without the traditional six-month maturation period.

Question 25

What is Tobingakoi sake?

Answer 25

Brewers selection - the best of the batch.

Question 26

What is a sake brewer called?

Answer 26

Toji

Question 27

What is a sake brewery called?

Answer 27

Kura

Question 28

What is taruzake?

Answer 28

Sake matured in wooden cask

Question 29

What is genshu sake?

Answer 29

Undiluted sake

Question 30

Name two other types of sake rice than Yamada Nishiki

Answer 30

Gohyakumangoku (light, airy, clean)
Miyamanishiki (sweeter but less fragrant)
Omachi (rich, complex, nutty)
Hattannishiki (light, flavorful, earthy)
Dewasansan (sweeter, apple & pear)
Kame no O (rich and very dry)
Hanafabuki (mushroom/umami)
Haenuki (clean and dry)
Oseto (rare, from Kagawa, only used by one brewery)

Question 31

What do positive and negative numbers indicate on a bottle of sake?

Answer 31

The level of dryness: positive numbers are increasingly drier, and negative numbers are increasingly sweeter.

Question 32

What is the name for the measure of sweetness in sake?

Answer 32

Nihonshu-do

Question 33

Name three famous sources for sake water in Japan

Answer 33

Miyamizu, from Nada (a ward of Kobe) in Hyogo prefecture - hard, high in minerals
Fukuryusui, from Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture - balanced between hard & soft
Gokosui from Fushimi in Kyoto prefecture - soft, low in mineral content

Question 34

What is a muro?

Answer 34

The koji room (where koji is added to rice)

Question 35

What is karakuchi?

Answer 35

A traditional method of brewing at lower temperatures, fermenting fully dry.

Question 36

What is the difference between yamahai-shikomi and sokujo-moto?

Answer 36

Yamahai is a traditional method of brewing where lactic acied is not added to the moto; instead, the moto produces its own lactic acid. Produces a heartier, gamier style of sake, as the brewing process takes longer and wild yeasts are more likely to invade the ferment.
Sokujo is a modern (1911) method of brewing where in lactic acid is added to the moto, protecting it and speeding up the process of creating the moto to two weeks.

Question 37

What is futsu-shu?

Answer 37

“Table Sake.” Constitutes approximately 3/4 of the market. Distilled alcohol is added to increase yield.

Question 38

How do Honjozo styles compare to Junmai styles?

Answer 38

Honjozo styles are generally lighter and more fragrant than Junmai styles.

Question 39

What is Jizake Jizake?

Answer 39

Usually means sake from smaller breweries; in other words, artisanal v. mass produced.

Question 40

What are the types of namazake?

Answer 40

• Nama-nama/hon-nama: totally unpasteurized
• Nama-chozo: pasteurized only once, after the 6mo maturation period, before shipping
• Nama-zume: pasteurized only once, before the 6mo maturation process. Also called Hiya-oroshi.

Sakes that have been pasteurized twice (99% of the market) are called hi-ire.

Question 41

What is Kimoto-moto?

Answer 41

The traditional method of working the moto, wherein the moto is continuously crushed and stirred with long wooden poles; the movement encourages the natural production of lactic acid to protect the moto.