Names for sake
Seishu (清酒)
The product category name under the Liquor Tax Act. Made by fermenting rice, rice koji and water and then straining the result
Nihonshu (日本酒)
Seishu made in Japan using only rice grown in Japan
Special designation (tokutei meisho, 特定名称)
Eight names decided by the ingredients and by how much of the rice has been polished away
Futsu-shu (普通酒)
Sake that does not meet the conditions for a special designation
Words for the type of sake
Junmai (純米)
Made only from rice, rice koji and water, without adding brewer’s alcohol
Ginjo (吟醸)
Made by ginjo brewing, with at least 40% of the outer rice polished away
Daiginjo (大吟醸)
Made by ginjo brewing, with at least half of the outer rice polished away
Honjozo (本醸造)
At least 30% of the outer rice polished away, with a small amount of brewer’s alcohol added
Tokubetsu (特別)
Used in tokubetsu junmai-shu and tokubetsu honjozo-shu
Ginjo brewing (ginjo-zukuri, 吟醸造り)
A method in which well-polished rice is fermented slowly at a low temperature
Ginko (吟香)
The distinctive aroma of sake made by ginjo brewing
Words for ingredients
Rice polishing ratio (seimai buai, 精米歩合)
The share of the rice that remains after polishing. 60% means that the outer 40% has been polished away
Sake rice (sakamai, 酒米)
Rice suited to making sake. Also called shuzo kotekimai (酒造好適米)
Shinpaku (心白)
The white, opaque part at the center of a grain of sake rice
Rice koji (kome koji, 米麹)
Steamed rice on which koji mold has been grown
Brewer’s alcohol (jozo alcohol, 醸造アルコール)
Alcohol made from ingredients that contain starch or sugar
Ways of making the yeast starter (moto)
Shubo (酒母, yeast starter)
A mixture in which a large amount of yeast has been grown to start the fermentation. Also called moto (酛)
Kimoto-kei shubo (生酛系酒母, kimoto-type yeast starter)
A method in which lactic acid bacteria are grown in the yeast starter, and their lactic acid protects against unwanted bacteria. Kimoto and yamahai are of this type
Kimoto (生酛)
A kimoto-type yeast starter made in the traditional way. It involves “yama-oroshi”, in which the ingredients are ground into a paste
Yamahai (山廃)
A yeast starter made in the kimoto way, but without yama-oroshi. Short for “yama-oroshi haishi moto (山卸し廃止酛)”
Yama-oroshi (山卸し)
The task of grinding the ingredients into a paste with a paddle called a kai (櫂) when making kimoto
Sokujo-kei shubo (速醸系酒母, sokujo-type yeast starter)
A method in which lactic acid is added instead of growing lactic acid bacteria
Sokujo-moto (速醸酛)
A yeast starter made by adding lactic acid and cultured yeast when the ingredients are put in
Koon-toka-moto (高温糖化酛)
A yeast starter made by turning the starch into sugar at 55–58°C, cooling the mixture, and then adding lactic acid and yeast
Koon-tanki sokujo-moto (高温短期速醸酛)
A sokujo-moto made at a fairly high temperature of 25–30°C
Kihaku-moto (希薄酛)
A yeast starter made with more water to lower the sugar concentration, and with lactic acid added
Brewing words
Moromi (もろみ, fermenting mash)
Sake that is still fermenting, before it is pressed
Joso (上槽, pressing)
Pressing the moromi to separate it into sake and sake lees
Sake lees (sake kasu, 酒粕)
The solids left over after the moromi is pressed
Hiire (火入れ, pasteurization)
Heating sake to 60–65°C to sterilize it
Words for drinking
Words on the label
Namazake (生酒)
Sake that has not been pasteurized even once
Nama chozo-shu (生貯蔵酒)
Sake stored without pasteurization and pasteurized only once, when it is shipped
Sparkling sake (発泡性の日本酒)
Sake that contains carbon dioxide gas and forms bubbles when poured
Genshu (原酒)
Sake that has not had water added to adjust its alcohol content
Kiippon (生一本)
Junmai-shu made entirely at a single brewery
Taruzake (樽酒, cask sake)
Sake stored in a wooden cask so that it takes on the aroma of the wood
Nigori-zake (にごり酒, cloudy sake)
White, cloudy sake strained through a coarse cloth or something similar
Shinshu (新酒, new-season sake)
Sake made in that year
Koshu (古酒, aged sake)
Sake made in the previous year or earlier