Sake Flashcards
Is sake fermented or distilled?
Fermented
Sake is made from what grain?
Rice
Define what sake is.
A Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.
how many sake breweries exist today in Japan?
~ 1400
How far back does sake’s history go?
~2500 years
what are the 5 main ingredients of sake?
- water
- rice
- Koji-Kin
- yeast
- Brewer’s alcohol (not always used)
Finish this analogy:
Terroir is to wine as ___ is to sake.
water
Water has specific qualities (salinity, minerality, etc.) in different parts of Japan, and it’s the water a brewery uses that helps define its sake’s sense of place.
How many types of sake rice exist?
How many are used for premium-quality sake?
- > 50 types of rice exist in Japan
- 8-10 types used for premium sake
Premium-quality rice used for sake in Japan can be specific to a … or a ….
region or village
What is Koji-Kin?
What does it do?
- A fungus native to Asia
- Converts starches found in rice into fermentable sugars
What is the role of yeast in sake production?
Metabolizes fermentable sugars into alcohol
Besides converting sugar into alcohol, what else does yeast impart in sake production?
Adds unique flavours and aromas
What is the abv range for sake?
15-22% abv
What is Brewer’s alcohol?
A neutral, distilled alcohol that can be added to sake
Why is Brewer’s alcohol added to cheap sake?
- increase yield
- stabiele the sake to give it a longer shelf life
Why is brewer’s Alcohol added to premium Sake?
- To draw more flavour out of the product (the alcohol, or ethanol, is an effective solvent)
- add richness
- Stabilise the sake so it has a longer shelf life
The amount of Brewer’s alcohol allowed to be added to premium sake is much less than what is allowed for cheap sake.
what are the first two steps in making sake (what do you have to do to the rice first)?
- Rice grains milled
- Resulting rice kernels are further polished so the starchy heart can be accessed (those starches in the center of the grain will be converted into fermentable sugars by the Koji-Kin)
what are the overarching classifications of sake?
- how polished the rice grains used to make the sake are;
2. whether a tiny amount of Brewer’s Alcohol has been added.
The degree of polishing determines the …. of sake
quality grade
when rice is polished to make sake, what is being polished away?
unwanted impurities, fats and proteins
Generally speaking:
The higher the rate of milling and polishing, the ___ the resulting sake quality.
The lower the rate of milling and polishing, the ___ the resulting sake quality.
- higher polishing = more premium
- lower polishing = less premium (cheaper)
what are the sake quality grades in order to from good to premium?
- Junmai
- Honjozo
- Ginjo
- Daiginjo
what does the term Junmai indicate?
That no Brewer’s alcohol has beed added to the sake.
Which means that the only ingredients in a Junmai sake are water, rice, Koji-Kin, and yeast
How much of the rice is polished away for Junmai sake?
30% polished away
or, 70% of the rice grains remains
How much of the rice is polished away for a Honjozo sake?
30% polished away,
Or, 70% or the rice grain remains - the same as Junmai!
Is Brewer’s alcohol added to Honjozo?
YES, Brewer’s alcohol is added to Honjozo.
Honjozo and Junmai share the same rate of polishing (30%), but one has Brewer’s alcohol added to it (Honjozo) and the other (Junmai) does not.
How much of the rice is polished away for a Ginjo Sake?
40% is polished away,
Or, 60% of the rice grain remains
How much of the rice is polished away for a Daiginjo sake?
50% is polished away.
Or, 50% of the rice grain remains
What is the tippy top premium sake made?
Consider the polishing percent and whether Brewer’s Alcohol has been added
Junmai Daiginjo
No Brewer’s Alcohol added + highest rate of polishing = most pure, clean and refined
Define Namazake
Unpasteurized sake
Namazake will always need to be refrigerated
Define Nigori
Unfiltered sake
Negori sake looks milky and it’s typically off-dry
