Saké 101
- Chapter 1: What is Saké?
- Chapter 2: How is Saké Made?
- Chapter 3: Saké Vocabulary
- Chapter 4: Types of Saké
- Chapter 5: How to Serve Saké
- Chapter 6: Tasting Saké
- Chapter 7: Uncommon Pairs
Chapter 3: Saké Vocabulary
Since saké originated in China and first became popular in Japan, much of the vocabulary associated with saké is either Chinese or Japanese.
Daiginjo: finest quality saké. Handmade, free-run, small batch saké made with rice milled to at least 50% giving forth the finest character and layers of complex flavor.
Genshu: cask strength (undiluted), generally 18 - 21% alcohol.
Ginjo: saké made with rice milled to 60%.
Honjozo: saké with a small amount of brewer's alcohol added. Done well, this enhances aroma and flavor.
Jiu (pronounced joe): the Chinese word used to describe the whole category of alcoholic beverages made from rice.
Jizake: locally made saké. Implies a craft saké brewery.
Junmai: saké made with only rice, water, koji and yeast.
Karakuchi: saké that is dry.
Kasu: the rice lees pressed off at filtration.
Kura: saké brewery
Masu: a traditional saké vessel, a wood box that is either unfinished cedar or lacquered.
Moromi: fermenting mash, consists of water, rice, yeast and koji.
Nama: unpasteurized saké that requires refrigeration.
Saké (pronounced sah-keh): a fermented alcoholic beverage made from rice. There are fermented rice alcoholic beverages, which range from 4% alcohol to 21% alcohol.
Saké Meter Value (SMV): the measure of specific gravity, or density of saké. A dry saké will show a + SMV with a sweet saké showing a - number. The larger the number, either positive or negative, the drier or sweeter it is.
Sakéry: the place where saké is produced. In Japan it is called a kura. In the U.S. it has been called a brewery, winery and distillery, although saké is not a distilled beverage. The saké making process has elements of making beer and wine and aspects totally unique to saké. By federal law, each saké producer in the United States is required to have a brewery license. Each state government agency that regulates saké treats it like a wine, so they require a saké producer to have a winery license. Over 80% percent of all sakés that are made in Japan have distilled alcohol added to them so when they are imported into the United States, they are taxed as a spirit. Distilled spirits cannot be added to saké made in the U.S. When Japanese sakéries add spirits, the style is called "honjozo". Some sakeries add it to raise alcohol levels, others such as Momokawa (Murai Family) Brewing in Japan use high quality brewer's alcohol to add desirable flavors, body and bouquet.
Sakémaster: a person who makes saké. The lead sakémaker is called the sakémaster. In Japan, the Chief Sakémaker is called a tohji. A Sakémaster is the equivalent to a winemaker, or brewmaster.
Seishu: refined saké in Japan, separating it from the less refined saké that was being made in China at the time. Japanese sakéries often refer to saké as "nihon-shu" which literally means "Japanese saké".
Sugidama: a ball of woven green cedar boughs used as a measure of aging. When the ball turns brown, the saké is ready.
Tanrei: very high quality junmai made with extra attention to detail. Crisp, refreshing, complex yet delicately layered.
Tokubetsu: brewed in a special manner with high quality rice and extra care.
Toji: head brewer
