Sake Flashcards

Question

What is Kakomai vs Sakami?

Answer 1

Kakomi - table rice varieties - allowed for sake but stickier and harder to work with Sakami - Sake rice type - Over 80 are officially recognized for sake production - Tend to be heavier and about 25% taller than table rice - Has a unique ratio of fat and protein on the outside **Growing sake rice is hard than table rice due to wind and top-heavy crops Up to 3x more expensive as a result **

Answer 2

concentrated starchy center of sake rice grain

Answer 3

Sake ferments naturally to about 8% to 20% alcohol - To avoid taxes, usually diluted to around 15% - Must be lower than 22%

Answer 4

Organic sake is determined by the paddy not the methods used inside a brewery - Certified Organic Sake must come from a rice paddy that has been free from synthetic products for a minimum of 3 years

Answer 5

Rice grains - After flowering and self-pollination, the ine (rice grains) begin to appear from the center of the stalk

Answer 6

After harvest, rice is stripped from the ears and separated into 5 size categories - Santoh - Grade 3 - Nittoh - Grade 2 - Ittoh - Grade 1 - Tokuto - Special Grade - Tokujo - Higher Special Grade

Answer 7

Means "special designation" or "premium" sake must be made from one of the 5 size categories above - Makes up for 26% of total Sake production Rice cannot have any preservative, coloring agents, flavors, or fragrances added during or after production by law

Answer 8

Sake rice is polished using a machine called a "seimaki" - Operates 24 hours a day, staffed by 3 kurabito (brewery workers) on rotating shifts - Breweries that do have their own machine will often provide milling services for other smaller breweries

Answer 9

Seimai - Milling process Begins with brown rice called genmai

Answer 10

- The amount of rice remaining after polishing - 68% means that 32% of the outer layer was removed Further polishing takes more time, increasing risk of damage - It takes 50 hours to polish a grain of rice to 50% of it's original size - 50% seimaibuai It would take an additional 50 hours to remove 15% more - 30% seimaibuai - Experimental levels of seimaibaui have reached as low as 6% but rare and considered not worth the effort - Hakurankusei, a producer from Miyagi in northern Japan used a milling roller made with diamond crystals said to cost 3 million USD - Released a 7% seimaibuai Junmai Daiginjo - Lower seimaibuai leads to a more elegant, delicate and vibrant aromatic sake - Lower seimaibuai leads a more rustic, savory sake

Answer 11

- 75% of Sake produced in Japan - No Seimaibuai minimum - Additive are less prohibitive - Simpler tax legislation - A few microbreweries, such as Ibaraki Shuzo in Hyogo Prefecture, use this category to make some unique declassified sakes but still rare

Answer 12

Tokubetsu means special Must either be polished to at least 60% seimaibuai or diverge from the producer's usual method - If diverging from usual method, this change must be specified on the label

Answer 13

Sake Producer

Answer 14

Brewmaster - Toji study at toji shudan (schools) or toji ryuha (guilds) - 26 exist today - Echigo Toji in Niigata, Nanbu Toji in Iwate and Tanba Toji in Hyogo are considered very prestigious - Toji guilds were created at the end of the 18th century for identity and knowledge - Most toji study near their hometown

Answer 15

- Cooling period where batches are separated for their intended purpose - Kojimai - Most will be used for the day's yeast starter, called the moto or shubo - This rice has to be cooked a little further than the normal rice used in sake production so that the non-koji rice (kakemai) is always at the bottom of the steaming tank while the koji rice (kojimai) is at the top for a gentler steam - Kakemai - The rest of the rice, 20-40% will be moved to the koji room, or koji muro

Answer 16

- Koji mold is the name of the product sprinkled on the rice and the resulting product is simply called Koji - Found in ambient environments throughout Asia - Discovered in China but Japan has championed it as their own - Dedicated research centers exist in Japan - There are less than 10 koji mold producers in Japan - They all produce an array of koji however - Koji is chosen by Toji based on… ----- Acidity ----- Potential alcohol ----- Aromatic potential ----- Kind of Rice - To produce a single tank of sake, 100 grams of koji mold is used - Koji is also used for fermentation in miso, soy sauce and mirin - Koji used for sake production is yellow koji (Apergillus oryzae) - Black and white koji are used for shochu production - When sake is produced using non- or low-alcohol yeast it is called amazake - Sweet, fruity, congee-textured drink consumed by kids and praised for health benefits - Koji rests for 24 hours before being moved to a more precise temperature-control system of wooden trays and boxes for further propagation and mixing to even distribution of koji mold - After two days, it is moved out of koji muro to stop the spread of the spores and prepare it for the yeast starter - At this point it looks like the rice has frosting on it and has a sweet taste of frosted flakes, rofl - Machines can do this process but most quality koji production is done by hand

Answer 17

Lactic Acid

Answer 18

Lactic Acid

Answer 19

Kimoto Method □ Traditional method of cultivating lactic acid bacteria □ Worked pound the mash with large wooden poles for hours at a time □ Natural nitrous bacteria exist in water and create a nitrous-reducing acids which kill unwanted bacteria ® Lactic acid bacteria grow in that nutrient deficient environment □ At 10% ABV, the lactic acid bacteria cannot survive, so the moto will be transferred before that □ Takes 1 month Yamahai Method □ Discovered in 1909 □ Lactic acid bacteria can still form on the top of the moto and protect the sake through fermentation □ Takes 1 month □ Results in more vibrant, gamier, high in acid and fruity Sokujo Method □ Discovered in 1911 □ Lactic acid is added to the moto □ Shortens the process to 2 weeks □ Most used method today □ Most efficient Bodaimoto Method □ Discovered in the 8th century by Bodai monks □ Mixed steamed rice with raw rice and water to encourage lactic acid bacteria □ Yeast then took over

Answer 20

- Rice, water and a little extra koji additions are made when the yeast concentration hits a certain level - Added in 3 stages over a 6 day period in a process called Sandan shikomi - Sandan shikomi ----- Hatsu-Zoe ----- Naka-Zoe ----- Tome-Zoe

Answer 21

- The mash will ferment for just over 30 days - Depending on lactic acid bacteria cultivation method, one batch of sake make take just over 60 days to make

Answer 22

Multiple Parallel Fermentation - Continues until it is stopped naturally or by the Toji - Temperature, sugar content and alcohol are monitored during the fermentation ----- Heating and cooling through jackets can be used to coax yeast ----- Tested throughout process for unwanted bacteria

Answer 23

- Most common method is to use a balloon press air compressor, assakuki, most popular brand is Yabuta - Looks like a giant accordion, it inflates and squeezes sake through a mesh surface - The air compressor is considered by many, to not be gentle enough for Jumai Ginjo or Junmai Daiginjjo Fune, box Press - Contains porous cloth filter bags that are slowly filled by hand with sake and pressure is applied from above - Bags are called Shibori fukuro - Creates a more delicate sake but higher risk of oxidation Shizuku, fukuro-tsuri - Tear drop or gravity press, hanging bag (bag is called sakabukuro) - Often only used for Junmai Daiginjo reserved for Japan's national sake competitions - The most delicate method - Bag is hung inside a tank and only what drops out of the bag is bottled - 1 bag holds about 15 liters of fermented moromi and yield about 6 liters of free run juice - The rest of the bag is sent through a fune for other sakes

Answer 24

Arabashiri - first run □ Barely cloudy □ Can be rough in texture but flavors and aromas are more delicate Nakagumi □ AKA Nakadori or taken from the middle □ Considered the best of 3 stages □ Greatest balance and structure □ Often separated and reserved for competitions Seme - Final Run □ May be included in sake productions but never used on its own

Answer 25

Non charcoal filtered sake Sometimes but not always appears on labels Retains natural greenish-yellow tinge as well as the impurities that can make sake taste raw **Charcoal filtration was created in the 1960s in the Chubu Area of Niiggata but originally done in secret to hide the unique process from competitors **

Answer 26

Twice pasteurized sake

Answer 27

Unpasteurized sake - Must be stored at a very low temperature

Answer 28

Sake pasteurized in tank but not bottle is called namazume

Answer 29

Yes - Deactivates heat-sensitive enzymes left over from fermentation process - Flash pasteurizations that happen at 149 degrees F

Answer 30

The bottling date, not production date

Answer 31

Matured in tank for 2-6 months on average - Often at below zero temperatures - In 1975, Dewazakura in Yamagata became the first brewery to build a storage facility that maintained a constant low temperature - In 1991, they developed a system for a system for maintaining optimal temperature of -5 degrees celsius

Answer 32

Cedar is important in Japan - 180 milliliter masu (small wooden box) traditionally used for drinking sake was often made of Japanese cedar

Answer 33

- Barrel aged sake - Most commonly for religious purposes - Some producers are well-known for their taruzake ----- Choryo in Nara Prefecture - Flavor is strong - Length of time is not regulated - Can be as short as hours or days

Answer 34

Volumes of production are recorded for tax purposes using the measurement koku, 180 liters

Answer 35

Brewing Year

Answer 36

When the first sake of the year is ready for sale, the brewery will hang a ball of cedar branches called a sugidama (sugi means cedar) outside of the brewery - The needles are green when hung but by the end of the season grow brown, a symbol of the seasons end

Answer 37

When the first sake of the year is ready for sale, the brewery will hang a ball of cedar branches called a sugidama (sugi means cedar) outside of the brewery - The needles are green when hung but by the end of the season grow brown, a symbol of the seasons end

Answer 38

- Unpasteurized, undiluted, on-charcoal filtered, freshly squeezed - AKA Muroka Nama Genshu Shiboritate - Bright, vibrant, crisp and refreshing ----- Sometimes slightly sparkling - Very sought after by sake enthusiasts - Often new sake is submitted to the Zenkoku Shinshu Kanpyoukai ----- A nationwide new sake competition held since 1910 - Victor gets bragging rights for 1 year

Answer 39

Any sake released in the brewing year is called shinshu - "new sake"

Answer 40

Pasteurized sake that has been resting in tank the whole year Rounder and more mellow

Answer 41

Stored in the brewery and released in the summer Often pasteurized but not mandatory

Answer 42

"Aged sake" Sake brewed in one year and bottled the next Can be released after one year or several Sake oxidizes and takes on a dark color over time so color can be an indicator of this style

Answer 43

"Extra aged sake" Anything produced more than one brewing year ago

Answer 44

Kyoto's Tsukino Katsura is a brewery established in 1675 that is famous for releasing some of the nation koshu after 50 years of aging

Answer 45

"Shrine water" Runs down Mount Rokko in Hyogo Prefecture into the historical Nada area This water is used for 25% of all sake produced

Answer 46

Low in iron to avoid oxidation and adverse reaction with amino acid Low in manganese to avoid discoloration High levels of potassium and magnesium

Answer 47

Harder water makes for a faster ferment Softer water is better for slow, cooler ferments Most Japanese water is considered soft (compared to other beer producing regions that flex on their water) but there are hard pockets

Answer 48

Undiluted sake Water added alters the original alcohol level by less than 1% Must be noted on the label

Answer 49

Japan Brewing Society Has sold, monitored, maintained and researched yeast for over 100 years Yeasts can be discovered through spontaneous fermentation and take to the society for cultivation and selling to other kura Yeast no. 7, AKA Nanago, Miyasaka Brewing Company in Nanago in 1946

Answer 50

Suffix "01" added to any yeast name indicates it is non-foaming

Answer 51

Breweries can append Ki-ippon to any of their Junmai level sake to show the entire place of origin came from a single place of origin

Answer 52

Most sake is produced with rice native to the region of production

Answer 53

Ishikawa and Yamagata Gis have globally recognizable AOC status

Answer 54

Most famous rice strain for sake - A cross between the Yamadaho and Watari Bune rice made in 1936 - Gold standard for sake production - Expensive and difficult to work with - Complex sakes with subtle fruit - Hyogo is often regarded as the best place to grow it - Hyogo is now working on a new variety called Hyogo Nishiki with the hopes it outperforms Yamada Nishiki

Answer 55

- Niigata - Sake must be made with Niigata rice - Hokkaido - Requires 70% seimaibuai and Junmai - Saga - annual judging but no min seimaibuai - Hiroshima - Saijo Sake is only granted if the rice is from Hiroshima, the water is untreated, the water source is the brewery, minimum seimaibuai is 55% and traditional sake production methods employed

Answer 56

Rice strain that creates leaner, cleaner styles of sake

Answer 57

Rice strain - Oldest rice in production dating back to 1859

Answer 58

Nigorizake - AKA Nigori sake - Known for cloudy appearance - Bottled with lees - A looser mesh is used during the pressing process which allows more kasu to pass through it ----- Some brewers press as normal and add kasu back later because it's unregulated - It's technically not "unfiltered" because to a sake brewer, filtering is the process of passing the fermented moromi through activate charcoal - Some call it coarse pass or cloudy sake - Ranges from light bodied and dry to rich, sweet and thick

Answer 59

Usunigori - A slightly cloudy sake - Fine mesh wasn’t used until the 8th century - Often views nigori as a traditional style - Was made illegal by government by the end of 19th century - Tsukino Katsura is credited with revitalizing nigorizake in 1964 - Created a modern method controlling the amount of kasu in the bottles

Answer 60

Sparkling Sake - Moromi fermentation can be arrested while the sake is at just 8% ABV - The brewer adds rice-based liqueur de tirage to induce the second fermentation in bottle - No official production method - Low acidity - Many are cloyingly sweet - Bunraku in Saitama Prefecture puts their sake through malo, and performs remuage by hand to create a balanced, expressive sparkling sake - Force injection is common as well as Charmat

Answer 61

Red Sake - AKA akazake - Can be made with unapproved rice varieties letting their pigment bleed into the moromi - In Kumamoto, ash is added during production - In Niigata, a red red koji is used - Some yeast strains give a red tint - Some sake is left to oxidize until it takes on color - Term is unregulated so a bunch of shit is cool

Answer 62

Rare style where junmai-shu, not water is added toward the end of the sandan shikomi process bringing the abv to 9 -10% Hiroshima's Hanahato famously releases a sweet, mellow eight-year-aged Kijoshu

Answer 63

AKA All Koji Using 100% koji and no steamed rice Ages quickly Naturally sweeter

Answer 64

150 year old method Moromi has a 1:1 water-to-rice ratio by weight

Answer 65

- AKA Sake Meter Value, SMV - Measurement of specific gravity in sake ----- Density of sake compared to the density of water - It is 4x more accurate than the Baume scale used in beer and wine - Ranges from -4 to +14 ----- Higher is drier - Mentioned during brewing but not on labeling - Very specific measurement not considering factors like acid and other perceptive factors

Answer 66

§ Acidity Number refers to the milliliters of liquid sodium hydroxide that would be required to neutralize 10 milliliters of sake and typically ranges from about 0.8 (Sweeter) to 2.0 (drier)

Answer 67

Contributes to flavor and longevity of sake The level of amino acid may be noted as the number of milliliters of liquid sodium hydroxide plus formalin required to neutralize 10 milliliters of sake. Between 0.8 and 1.2 - Lower means delicate, watery if very extreme - Higher means richer, cloying if extreme High ages faster

Answer 68

textural, savory

Answer 69

- Liquid volume - Product type ----- Nihonshu and seishu are acceptable - Bottling date - Brewery name and address - Alcohol content - Waring about selling to minors

Answer 70

- Best to keep out of sun - At constant temps if not in fridge - Sake shops wrap bottles in newspaper to avoid UV exposure - No cork, so it can be stored upright - Hi-occhi or hine ----- Sake that has gone back due to heat or oxidation and becomes overly sweet and heady, producing a white foaming sediment - TCA is possible even without a cork but rare

Answer 71

- Most sake should not be served hot - Rounder heavier sake is served warmer - More delicate sake is served colder - At room temperature sake shows more depth and richness - Warmer exposes more flaws - Too warm and many aromas are lost - Unpasteurized, fruit forward, delicate or aromatic sake should be served colder

Answer 72

Sake is warmed with a small cooper vessel called a Chirori Placed in a warming apparatus called an okanban Okanban is also used to describe to person warming the sake

Answer 73

Sake is portion out in multiples of 90 - 720 ml - Yongo -1,800 ml - issho-bin - 360 ml - Tokkuri - 90 ml - ichi-go - 180 ml - ni-go

Answer 74

Small white porcelain cup to drink sake

Answer 75

Koji is steamed rice on which mold grows. Koji-Kin is the mold.

Answer 76

d. The variety of rice best suited to quality Sake production

Answer 77

a. Sake production terms

Answer 78

d. Serving vessels

Answer 79

Brewers alcohol is added

Answer 80

b. Undiluted

Answer 81

The Sake will be swee