Sake terms

Question 1

Toji:

Answer 1

Master Brewer. Usually, there is but one toji in each kura.

Question 2

Kura, sakagura:

Answer 2

A sake brewery. “Kura” can also be a storehouse, and when used for clarification, sake kura becomes sakagura

Question 3

Kurabito:

Answer 3

a sake brewer, working with the toji

Question 4

Kuramoto:

Answer 4

The owner of a brewer, or owning family.

Question 5

Seimaibuai (Say My Boo Eye!):

Answer 5

Rice milling rate. Remember it refers to how much of the original size of the rice grain remains, not how much was milled away.

Question 6

Koku:

Answer 6

A traditional unit of measure equal to 180 liters. Most breweries talk of how many koku they brew, although they report it to the authorities in liters, of course. But they think in koku.

Question 7

Aru-ten:

Answer 7

Short for “Arukouru Tenka,” and refers to any sake that is not junmai-something, i.e. any sake with any added alcohol.

Question 8

shinpaku

Answer 8

the starchy center of rice

Question 9

Describe the Junmai style

Answer 9

Junmai:
- Maximum Percentage of Rice Grain Remaining: 70%

• Provided the producer prints “semaibuai” on the label, and uses only water, rice and koji, the milling percentage may now be higher than 70%

Question 10

Describe Honjozo

Answer 10

Honjozo:
- Maximum Percentage of Rice Grain Remaining: 70%

• A slight amount of brewer’s alcohol (pure distillate) is added to the sake before pressing

Question 11

Describe Ginjo:

Answer 11

Ginjo:
- If labeled Ginjo, the sake will be honjozo in style, with brewer’s alcohol added. If no distilled alcohol is added, it will be labeled Junmai Ginjo

Question 12

Describe Daiginjo:

Answer 12

Daiginjo:
- Maximum Percentage of Rice Grain Remaining: 50%

-If labeled Daiginjo, the sake will be honjozo in style, with brewer’s alcohol added. If no distilled alcohol is added, it will be labeled Junmai Daiginjo

Question 13

What is koji-kin?

Answer 13

A green powdery mold.

Question 14

What is koji?

Answer 14

The steamed rice upon which the mold is cultivated is the koji.

Question 15

What is moto?

Answer 15

Yeast, additional rice and water are added to koji to create the moto, or starter.
… in terms of making beer, think “wort”.

Question 16

Namazake:

Answer 16

Unpasteurized Sake

Question 17

Nigori Sake

Answer 17

Unfiltered Sake

Question 18

Taruzake:

Answer 18

Sake aged in wooden barrels

Question 19

Jizake:

Answer 19

Sake from a smaller kura (brewery)

Question 20

Genshu Sake:

Answer 20

Undiluted sake

Question 21

Recommend a lighter style sake for a pairing.

Answer 21

Kubota “Munjyu” Junmai Daiginjo
Prefecture: Niigata
Kura (brewery): Asahi Shuzo (est. 1830)
It’s aged a longer before it’s bottled and it has a higher mill level than the rest of the Kubota family.
Flavor:
Colorless in the glass, this sake has a nose of cedar trees and fresh rainwater, with hints of dried orange peel aromas. In the mouth it is smooth and silky, with a beautiful weight on the tongue and a perfect dry balance that allows flavors of orange blossom to mingle with hints of cedar and wet stone that leave the palate feeling alive and refreshed.

Question 22

Recommend a fuller style sake for a pairing

Answer 22

Kiminoi “Emperor’s Well” Junmai Ginjo
Prefecture: Niigata
Flavor:
Prototypical Yamahai nose filled with earthy, gritty, ricey, shroomy, grainy elements with a waft of creme brulee. And yes the flavor matches the aroma as this deep and layered sake has a gamey attitude that is full and robust.