What is Sake? An Overview

Question 1

If you had to generally describe the tasting profile of a basic sake to someone who knew nothing about it, how could you describe it?

Answer 1

Most sakes are typically 15–17% abv, slightly sweet and lightly acidic.

They have light and delicate cereal, lactic or fruity flavors.

Question 2

Choose the correct answer:

Most sakes are clear and colorless in appearance but some are:

a. pale yellow or green
b. blue or purple
c. red or orange

Answer 2

a. pale yellow or green

Question 3

Where does the steamed rice for sake come from?

Answer 3

Sake brewers typically buy rice from suppliers. When it is delivered to the brewery, the rice is brown and has not been steamed; it is hard and dusty.

After polishing the rice to their desired ratio, the brewers steam the rice to soften it so that it can break up in the water.

Question 4

Where does the water to make sake come from?

Answer 4

Sake brewers use local supplies of water.

Almost any water can be used to make sake so long as it is clean.

Question 5

What are the three steps that always happen in sake production?

Answer 5

1. Fermentation
2. Filtration
3. Bottling

Question 6

What are three other steps that are optional in sake production?

Answer 6

1. Adding alcohol
2. Adding water
3. Pasteurisation

Question 7

As there is no sugar in rice, where does the sugar come from to make the alcohol in sake?

Answer 7

Starch (what’s inside the heart of the rice grain) is made up of sugar molecules bonded together into long chains.

Enzymes are able to break up the long starch chains into individual sugar molecules in a process called starch conversion by way of kōji, the mold that brewers grow on steamed rice creates these enzymes.

When the steamed rice and kōji are mixed with water, the enzymes created by the mold convert the starch into sugar which in turn is turned into alcohol by the yeast.

Question 8

Name the 2 principal categories of sake.

Answer 8

1. Futsū-shu (basic)
2. Premium

Pronounced foo-tsoo-shoo

Question 9

List the 5 main ingredients that are legally permitted in sake production.

Answer 9

1. Steamed white rice
2. Kōji
3. Yeast
4. Water
5. High strength distilled alcohol (aka Brewer’s alcohol, which is optional)

Question 10

What are the 4 overarching production steps used to make sake?

Answer 10

1. Rice preparation
2. Kōji production
3. Fermentation
4. Filtration and bottling

Question 11

List the 4 objectives of the Rice Preparation production step.

Answer 11

1. Polishing (impact on style)
2. Washing
3. Soaking
4. Steaming

Question 12

List the 4 objectives of the Kōji Production production step.

Answer 12

1. Cooling rice
2. Spreading the mold
3. Initial mold growth
4. Controlling and stopping the mold growth

Question 13

List the 2 objectives of the Fermentation production step.

Answer 13

1. Create the fermentation starter
2. Main fermentation

Question 14

List the 5 objectives of the Filtration and Bottling production step.

Answer 14

1. Addition of high strength distilled alcohol (if being used)
2. Filtration
3. Dilution with water (optional)
4. Bottling
5. Pasteurisation (optional)

Question 15

List the 6 grades of premium sake.

Answer 15

1. Honjōzō
2. Ginjō
3. Daiginjō
4. Junmai
5. Junmai ginjō
6. Junmai daiginjō

Question 16

Name 4 speciality styles of sake.

Answer 16

1. Nigori
2. Sparkling sake
3. Koshu
4. Nama

Question 17

Fill in the blank:

If there is no addition of high strength distilled alcohol, sake is called ______.

Answer 17

Junmai

Junmai means ‘pure rice’

Question 18

Rice polishing ratio:

Junmai

Answer 18

Most rice for Junmai is polished to 70% or less

Question 19

Rice polishing ratio:

Honjōzō

Answer 19

70% or less

Honjōzō and most Junmai rice is polished to 70% or less

Question 20

Rice polishing ratio:

Ginjō and Junmai Ginjō

Answer 20

60% or less

Question 21

Rice polishing ratio:

Daiginjō and Junmai Daiginjō

Answer 21

50% or less

Question 22

What does Nama mean on a bottle of sake?

Answer 22

Unpasteurized

Question 23

What does the word Koshu mean on sake?

Answer 23

Aged sake

Question 24

What do these Japanese characters mean on a bottle of sake?

純 米

Answer 24

Junmai

Question 25

# What do these Japanese characters mean on a bottle of sake? 本 醸 造

Answer 25

Honjōzō

Question 26

# What do these Japanese characters mean on a bottle of sake? 吟 醸

Answer 26

Ginjō

Question 27

# What do these Japanese characters mean on a bottle of sake? 大 吟 醸

Answer 27

Daiginjō