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Sake WSET L1 > Intro > Flashcards

Intro Flashcards

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1
Q

What the common Japanese name for alcohol that includes sake?

A

Nihon-shu
Japanese - alcohol
Simples!

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2
Q

What does “Kampai” mean?

A

Cheers!

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3
Q

Name the four ingredients of sake and one optional

A

Steamed white rice
Koji
Water
Yeast
optionally: high strength distilled alcohol

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4
Q

What is Koji?

A

A cultivated mould grown on some of the steamed rice.
It converts the rice starch into sugar for the alcoholic fermentation

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5
Q

What are the sources of water and yeast

A

Water is local
Yeast is from specialty suppliers

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6
Q

What is parallel fermentation?

A

Unusual process whereby the koji converts starch to sugar at the same time as the yeast converts the sugar to alcohol.

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7
Q

What is the typical post-fermentation ABV?

A

20%

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8
Q

What are the three broad stages for making sake

A

Fermentation
Filtration
Bottling

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9
Q

Describe how fermentation process starts

A

A small batch is got going first before building up to the main batch

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10
Q

Is sake always filtered?

A

Yes, but not always to clarity. The Nigorizake style of sake is cloudy.

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11
Q

Why is neutral high ABV alcohol sometimes added to sake? (4 reasons)

A

Depending on the style of sake,
- it lightens the body
- makes it drier
- increases the volume
- can help extract fruity and floral flavours in the rice

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12
Q

Why add water to sake? It’s already only c. 20% ABV?

A

The law (no sake is allowed >22%)
but also most sake is sold between 15% and 17%

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13
Q

Is all sake pasteurised?

A

Most of it is. The Namazake style of sake isn’t

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14
Q

Basic sake is called?

A

Futsu-shu
Slightly sweet, light acidity, delicate lactic and cereal flavours, some umami and sometimes nuts or banana bread

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15
Q

What are the hallmark notes of a sake that is “ginjo” or “Daiginjo” ?

A

Pure floral and fruity aromas

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16
Q

What does “Junmai” mean?

A

Junmai means “Pure rice”
It has not had alcohol added post-fermentation and pre-filtration.
The word on its own suggests a basic sake.

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17
Q

What is the name of the basic sake that has had alcohol added to it?

A

Honjozo

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18
Q

Junmai and Honjozo sake have one thing in common?

A

Rice is polished to max 70%
(Where 70% of the rice grain is left after polishing)

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19
Q

If a sake is “Junmai”, what does it mean?

A

That no alcohol has been added

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20
Q

What goes a “ginjo” sake mean?

A

A ginjo sake is a premium grade of sake with rice grains polished <= 60%
The grade on its own means alcohol has been added.
The more rice grains are polished:
- the more fruity and floral notes are realised
- lower acidity and umami

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21
Q

What does “daiginjo” mean and what does it say about sake?

A

The “Dai” bit means “Big”
Daiginjo has been polished to <= 50%
The sake will be fruitier and more floral than ginjo
Even less acidity and umami

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22
Q

Premium sake is fermented at a higher temperature than ordinary sake.
True or False?

A

FALSE.
Premium sake is fermented at a lower temperature.
Specific yeasts facilitate this.

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23
Q

Not adding high strength alcohol means the sake must have “Junmai” on the label.
True or False ?

A

True
Junmai means no alcohol has been added.

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24
Q

What is the word for polishing rice for sake?

A

Seimabuai
(Don’t ask me to pronounce it)

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25
Q

What are the three broad categories for assessing sake?

A

Appearance
Nose
Palate

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26
Q

What are you looking for to assess the Appearance of sake?

A

Clarity - clear or cloudy
Colour, bubbles or anything else like lumps of rice

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27
Q

What are you looking for to assess the Nose of sake?

A
  1. Aroma: fruity / floral, cereal / grain / nut, lactic / dairy or perhaps banana bread
  2. Intensity.
  3. Any other faults.
28
Q

What are you looking for to assess the Palate of sake?

A

Flavour Intensity: Light - Medium - Pronounced
Flavour Characteristics - fruity / floral, cereal / grain / nut, lactic / dairy, banana bread?
Other: sweetness, acidity, texture, umami, rice particles, bubbles, finish

29
Q

What’s the best shape of glass for tasting sake?

A

A standard ISO tasting glass with a wide bowl and a narrower opening.

30
Q

Should bottles of sake should be stored on their side like wine?

A

Nope.
Upright!

31
Q

What are the four steps in the process to prepare rice for sake production?

A
  1. Polishing
  2. Washing
  3. Soaking
  4. Steaming
32
Q

What do the outer layers of a grain of brown rice afford sake?

A

Extra acidity, umami and cereal flavours

33
Q

What flavour notes are affected by polishing grains to <= 50 to expose the almost pure starch core. What increases and what decreases?
What is the name for this grade of sake?

A

Lower acidity, low umani cereal and lactic notes.
Increased fruit and floral.

Daiginjo

34
Q

100% (unpolished) rice grains produce which grades of sake?

A

Most “futsu-shu” and some “junmai”

35
Q

70% polished rice grains are used for which grades of sake?

A

Honjozo and most Junmai

36
Q

60% rice grains produce which grades of sake?

A

Ginjo or Junmai Ginjo

37
Q

50% rice grains produce which grades of sake?

A

Daiginjo or Junmai daiginjo

38
Q

Why wash the rice grains?

A

They’re covered in fucking dust

39
Q

Soaking and steaming achieves what for the rice?

A

Softens it up and gives it the right texture

40
Q

When making Koji, what two environmental considerations must have close attention paid to them?

A

Temperature and humidity
The Koji mould culture needs warmth and humidity to grow.

41
Q

How is the growth of Koji controlled?

A

By manipulating the temperature and humidity.
Growth is stoped by moving the rice to a cold room.

42
Q

What are the four steps in the creation of Koji?

A

Koji is created by:
1. Cooling the steamed rice
2. Introducing the mould spores
3. Create the initial growth - getting an even spread, turning by hand.
4. Cooling again to control and stop the mould growth when it’s ready.

43
Q

What gives sake most of it’s flavour?

A

Yeasts, though some random bacteria can as well.

44
Q

There are two traditional ways of creating the fermentation starter.
Name them.

A
  1. Kimoto (little hot or warm in Swahili)
  2. Yamahai. XTZ750
45
Q

Unpasteurised sake is known as…

A

Nama-zake
Can taste lively and fresh but quickly degenerate to spicy and malty

46
Q

What is Nama-zake?

A

Unpasteurised sake

47
Q

Roughly filtered sake is known as what…?

A

Nigori-zake
(Adds texture)

48
Q

Nigori-zake is what?

A

Roughly filtered sake

49
Q

Koshu sake is what?
Describe eye, nose and palate expectations

A

Aged sake.
Amber or brown in colour
Sweet
Nutty, dried fruit, meat, pickled vegetables (although considered to be a fault in unaged sake)
Rich texture

50
Q

What is aged sake called?

A

Koshu

51
Q

Sake needs to be stored in a cool dark space.
For which style of sake is this the most important?

A

Nama-zake.
It’s not pasteurised.

52
Q

All sake can take a lot of age.
True or False?

A

Most sake needs to be drunk young.
The exception being Koshu

53
Q

Nama-zake (unpasteurised) can develop unpleasant flavours,
typically what?

A

Malt
Bacon
Rotting Vegetables

54
Q

What is the term used to describe nama-zake that has gone off (flavours of Malt, Bacon, Rotting Vegetables)?

A

Nama-hine

55
Q

Nama-hine is what?

A

A term to describe nama-zake that is faulty

56
Q

Serving most sake warm has what effect?

A

Increases intensity, texture and acidity

57
Q

Which style of sake ought not be warmed?

A

Ginjo.
Warming causes the loss of aroma and flavour.

58
Q

A sake decanter is known as what?

A

Tokkuri.
Usually porcelain or similar. Strictly for serving, not aerating.

59
Q

What is a Tokkuri?

A

A decanter for serving sake

60
Q

Warmed sake should be within which temperature range?

A

40°C and 50°C

61
Q

Masu… what is it?

A

A cedar box traditionally used to measure rise but more often used instead of Tokkuri despite the sake getting contaminated by cedar flavour.

62
Q

Which styles of sake is it acceptable to drink cold, warm and hot?

A

The basic sakes:
Honjozo, Junmai and Futsu-shu

Sometimes Koshu (aged) and Nigori (partially filtered) as well.

63
Q

A traditional flat-based sake cup is called what?

A

O-choko

64
Q

What is an O-choko

A

A traditional small flat based cup for drinking sake.

65
Q

Taste Interaction… is what?

A

The way in which food and drink affect each other.
1. Generally, food affects drink more than drink affects food.
2. The intensity of food and drink flavours should be similar

Sake WSET L1 (1 decks)

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