C3 - Sake Labelling Terms - completed Flashcards
How much of Japanese sake production is classed as ‘premium’?
Approximately one third - and this percentage is increasing.
Premium sake can only be made of what?
- rice, water, yeast, kōji and possibly jōzo alcohol.
What is the Japanese term for premium sake?
tokutei-meishō-shu
How many grades of premium sake further divided into?
- Eight
How many grades of premium sake are called tokubetsu?
- Two
What is futsū-shu?
- Basic sake
- Two thirds of Japanese production
Does the term futsū-shu usually appear on a sake label?
- rare
- brewers usually use a brand name instead
What might be added to a futsū-shu, in addition to the rice, water, yeast, kōji and jōzō?
Amino acids (for umami)
Sugar
Acid
Less tightly regulated
How does futsū-shu differ from tokutei-meishō-shu in terms of regulations?
- Less tightly regulated
Definitions of ginjō
- rice polished to 60% or less remain
- most of the protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals are polished away
- leaving almost pure starch.
- Light body,
- lower acidity
- lower umami
- fermented in extremely low temperatures
- low temperature and low nutrients put the yeast under stress
- produce aromas and flavours of green apple and banana
Definitions of daiginjō?
- an extreme version of ginjo
- rice polished to 50% or less remain.
- Very pure and delicate.
What must all eight categories of premium sake show on the label?
The polishing rate
What are the eight grades of premium sake?
- Daiginjō
- Ginjō
- Honjōzō
- Tokubetsu honjōzo
- Junmai daiginjō
- Junmai ginjō
- Junmai
- Tokubetsu junmai
What effect does the addition of distilled alcohol have on the sake?
- Very little
- it does not increase the alcohol
- Subtly enhances aromas
- Can make the sake slightly lighter in body
For futsū-shu, it increases volume and reduce the cost
What is the Japanese term for distilled alcohol?
Jōzō arukōru
True or false?
If distilled alcohol is used, it does not need to be listed on the label.
- False.
- Distilled alcohol must be listed in the ingredients on the label
What is arukorū-tenka?
- Alcohol addition - often abbreviated to aruten
What is aruten?
- abbreviation for arukorū-tenka - alcohol addition.
- Aruten is the term used to describe sake make with the addition of jōzō, and as opposed to junmai.
What is junmai?
- Premium sake made without the addition of distilled alcohol
Why doesn’t the addition of distillers alcohol increase the alcoholic volume?
- Because the sake is watered back after the alcohol addition.
What is honjōzō?
- Premium sake made from relatively coarsely polished rice (70% or less) with a small addition of distilled alcohol
How does honjōzō taste in comparison to junmai?
- Similar to junmai: rice/cereal, earthy/spice flavours, but slightly lighter in body
What does tokubetsu translate to?
Special
How can sake qualify for the labelling term tokubetsu?
Three ways:
- Be polished to less than 60%
- Be made only from sake-specific rice
- Include some other process that the brewer has arranged to be legally recognised.
True or false:
- Sake made from rice with a polishing rate of 71% or more and the addition of distilled alcohol cannot be called honjōzō.
- True.
- Honjōzō must be polished to 70% or less.
True or false:
Sake made from rice with a polishing rate of 71% or more cannot be called junmai.
False.
- There is no stipulated polishing ratio for junmai, although unpolished rice is rarely used.
True or false:
Tokubetsu sake can only be labelled as such if it has a polishing rate of 60% or less.
False.
- A polishing rate of 60% can be one way to qualify for use of the term tokubetsu, but there are also other factors that can qualify the sake to use the term.
- sake specific rice
- a legally recognised production process
What is the required polishing rate for honjōzō?
70% or less
What is the required polishing rate for junmai?
There is no minimum polishing rate for junmai
What is kimoto?
- An older, slower method for the fermentation starter.
- Produce higher acidity, and more depth and complexity.
What is yamahai?
- A simplified version of kimoto.
- It also produces higher acidity, and more depth and complexity.
What is muroka?
- A sake that has not been fined with active charcoal to remove colour.
- Muroka sake is typically pale lemon-green or lemon in appearance
What does the labelling term nama mean?
- A sake that has not been pasteurised.