In simple terms听蝉ake is a fermented drink made from rice听and听办艒箩颈.听Records of sake can be found in Japan that date back to the seventh century.听K艒箩颈听is Japan's national mould, and it is听what听breaks down the rice into sugars that yeast can听ferment.听Besides sake,听办艒箩颈听is also used to make soy sauce, miso,听and听mirin.听We听have previously听looked briefly at some common sake terminology in听our听beginner鈥檚 guide to sake,听but in this听blog,听飞别鈥檒濒听be taking a听deeper dive into the听different categories听and styles of听sake.听
Keep reading to find out more.听
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What are the听different types听of sake?
In the first instance, sake听can be听divided into basic and premium sake听categories.听However, premium sake听is then split down into a number of grades (often grouped into six main styles, plus tokubetsu variants).听
All sake is made using 4 key ingredients; steamed white rice,听办艒箩颈, water and yeast. Brewers then have the听option听to add a high-strength distilled alcohol called听箩艒锄艒.听But there are some听additional听requirements for premium sake which we will touch on below.听
Japanese Sake听has听two official terms听that can be used interchangeably.听The first is sei-shu听which听literally translates听as clear/refined (sei) alcohol (shu). The second is听nihon-shu, which translates as Japanese (nihon) alcohol (shu).听听听
Now,听濒别迟鈥檚听dive into the detail of the different grades and styles...听
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Basic sake
Basic sake is a simpler style of sake is听known as听蹿耻迟蝉奴-蝉丑耻听in Japanese听and this is the category that a large proportion of sake in Japan falls into.听
All brewers will use the 4 standard ingredients as听mentioned听above and听may choose to add lactic acid and听箩艒锄艒听alcohol. Significant volumes of听箩艒锄艒听alcohol can be used in the production of听蹿耻迟蝉奴-蝉丑耻, and brewers听can also use other ingredients to adjust the acidity,听sweetness听and level of umami of their sake.听
Most听蹿耻迟蝉奴-蝉丑耻听are clear and colourless in appearance but some are pale yellow in colour.听听
They听range between听15鈥�17% abv,听are听often听slightly sweet and lightly acidic with delicate lactic and cereal flavours.听
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Premium sake
Whereas听with听basic sake听there are minimal restraints in terms of ingredients used, with premium sake at least 15%听of the rice used must be听办艒箩颈, and the brewers are only听permitted听to add a small amount of听箩艒锄艒听alcohol.听听
As mentioned, premium sake is divided into eight听grades,听and these grades help to give consumers some information about the style of sake in the bottle and the production methods chosen by the brewer.听
The first six grades听are most听common and听can be broken down听more easily听鈥� so we will听take a look听at these first.听
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The six common grades of premium sake
These grades of sake can be grouped in two ways:听
- Whether听箩艒锄艒听alcohol was added or not听
- Rice polishing ratio (seimai-buai)听
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闯艒锄艒听alcohol (junmai听or non-junmai)
The term听junmai听literally means听鈥減ure rice.鈥� If 鈥�junmai鈥� appears on the label, no听箩艒锄艒听alcohol was added. If it听诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛听appear, you can assume听箩艒锄艒听alcohol听was听added.听
There is no separate approved term for sakes that include听箩艒锄艒听alcohol. In practice, it is not always easy to distinguish听junmai听from non鈥�junmai听styles.听听
Some听junmai听sakes have richer texture and more cereal notes, while some non鈥�junmai听styles can be lighter and drier 鈥� but these tendencies are not consistent enough to rely on.听
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Polishing ratio (驳颈苍箩艒听or non-驳颈苍箩艒)
The polishing ratio of the rice can have a significant impact on the style of the sake.听
骋颈苍箩艒听蝉tyles听
- 骋颈苍箩艒: rice polished to听60% or less听
- Dai驳颈苍箩艒: rice polished to听50% or less (some highly regarded听dai驳颈苍箩艒听use rice polished to as low as听35%.听
If 鈥�junmai鈥� appears alongside听驳颈苍箩艒听or听dai驳颈苍箩艒, it means no听箩艒锄艒听alcohol was added.听
When tasted side by side,听all听驳颈苍箩艒听styles typically show pronounced听fruity 鈥�驳颈苍箩艒听补谤辞尘补蝉鈥�听created during fermentation听-听often including banana,听apple听and melon.听Dai驳颈苍箩艒听and听junmai听dai驳颈苍箩艒听tend to show the most intense expression.听
These sakes are low in acidity, low in umami, and have subtle cereal or lactic notes. Non鈥�junmai听驳颈苍箩艒听versions can sometimes have lighter body, more aromatic听intensity听and a spicier finish (notes like white pepper or cinnamon), though again this is not guaranteed.听
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Non-驳颈苍箩艒听蝉tyles听听
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Non-驳颈苍箩艒听premium sake made with the added听箩艒锄艒听alcohol is labelled as听hon箩艒锄艒听and must be made from rice that has a polishing ratio of 70%听or less.听听
There is no stated legal听maximum听polishing ratio for听junmai听as long as听the rice has a polishing ratio of 99%听or less.听However, it is rare to see听junmai听made from rice with a polishing ratio higher than 70%听
Non-驳颈苍箩艒听sakes tend to have notable cereal and lactic flavours and are only lightly fruity. They typically have a higher level of acidity and umami than听驳颈苍箩艒听styles of sake.听Hon箩艒锄艒听can be slightly lighter in body than听junmai, but this is not always the case听and varies by producer.听
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Tokubetsu
The final two grades of premium sake feature the term听tokubetsu, which must be used alongside听hon箩艒锄艒听or听junmai.听听
It means 鈥榮pecial selection鈥� and denotes a special kind of听hon箩艒锄艒听or听junmai. There are three ways a sake can qualify for this grade:听
- The rice has a polishing ratio of 60 per cent or less听
- The sake is made exclusively from sake-specific rice; no table rice is used听
- The production included a special process that the brewer has arranged to have legally recognised.听听
If the brewer is using the first of these qualifying criteria, they could have labelled these sakes as either听驳颈苍箩艒/dai驳颈苍箩艒听or听junmai听驳颈苍箩艒/junmai听dai驳颈苍箩艒, but they have instead chosen to label them as听tokubetsu听hon箩艒锄艒听or听tokubetsu听junmai.听听
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There听is no one style that best describes听tokubetsu听sakes.听I迟鈥檚听more helpful to听view听tokubetsu听as a marketing term used to emphasise quality, without associating the sake with typical听驳颈苍箩艒听characteristics.听听
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Speciality styles of sake
Several labelling terms听indicate听speciality sakes made using techniques different from the standard methods. Four are covered here.
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Nama-zake听听
A nama-zake听is a completely unpasteurised sake听and听tends to have more lively,听fresh听and pronounced aromas compared to a pasteurised sake of a similar age.听听
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Nigori-zake听听
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Nigori-zake is a cloudy sake听containing听rice particles known as lees.听
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Despite the appearance, this is听not unfiltered听sake as Japanese law requires all sake to be filtered. The cloudiness comes from using a coarse filter or by adding lees back into clear sake.听
Nigori-zake听tends to have more rice character, a creamy听texture听and a richer, fuller body.听
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Sparkling sake听听
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As you may have guessed, sparkling sakes are fizzy. The sparkle comes from dissolving the gas carbon dioxide (CO2 )听into the drink.听听
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This category is constantly evolving, and there are many听different styles听of sparkling sake to choose from.听听
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Koshu听听
Koshu听is an aged sake, typically matured for at least two years, though no legal minimum exists for maturation.听
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As it matures,听koshu听darkens in colour (some long鈥慳ged examples can appear brown) and develops flavours such as nuts, pickled vegetables, soy听sauce听and caramel, along with prominent umami.听
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Delve deeper into the world of sake
And there we have it! An introduction to the different type of sake.听
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Looking to learn more about听this historical beverage? AT 黑料吃瓜网 we offer听sake courses听from Level 1 to Level 3听for those eager to expand their knowledge of sake, from its history and production to practical tasting techniques.听听
Whether听i迟鈥檚听a passion project or career motivated, our courses offer a welcoming gateway into the world of sake.
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