First free-flowing sake that pours from fune, due only by natural gravitational weight of the layered moromi bags, before mechanical and intentional weight is applied.

Arabashiri

A process of adding brewer’s alcohol to the mash to improve flavor and aroma of sake, increase yield, and/or to preserve quality.

Aru-ten

Translates as “VERY Strictly Selected Brewing” and is considered the highest grade of sake. A minimum of 50% of the rice must be polished away, but many are polished far more. These sake are light, ethereal, and typically supremely aromatic with intense floral, tropical fruit, and sometimes spice notes.

Daiginjo

Sake before pressing. A “cloudy sake”, the original form of sake of the old days.

Doburoku

Undiluted sake, no water is added after production. May reach natural alcohol content up to 20%. Generally, powerful and rich.

Genshu

Ginjo translates as “Strictly Selected Brewing” and includes the top four categories of classified sake, or Tokutei Meisho-shu: Ginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Daiginjo, and Junmai Daiginjo. A minimum of 40% of the rice must be polished away. This broad category boasts a spectrum of flavors highlighting floral and fruity notes overlaying delicate rice and mineral character. This is the fastest growing style of sake in terms of popularity and has fueled the “Ginjo Boom” in Japan and around the world.

Ginjo

The aroma of Ginjo sake, alluding to aromas of fruits, flowers, and spice. Although not regulated, it is universally acknowledged that sake labeled within one of the four Ginjo categories — Ginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Daiginjo, Junmai Daiginjo — will have Ginjo-ka, or “Ginjo Aroma”.

Ginjo-ka

Heat pasteurization or the general term for the class of sake that has been pasteurized.

Hi-ire

Literally translates as “True or Original Brew”. The category was created for sake produced with added alcohol, but with much stricter standards than Futsuu-shu. The amount of alcohol that can be legally added is dramatically reduced and regulated, and while Futsuu-shu has no standards for rice polishing, rice for Honjozo must be polished down to at least 70% of its original size or lower. Many Honjozo benefit from gentle warming, and can be fantastic with food. Honjozo sake with its lower polishing typically has more earthy, mineral, and rice notes.

Honjozo

Literally translates as “Pure Rice”, denoting a sake with no brewers alcohol added. It is made only from rice, koji, water, and yeast. Basic Junmai Sakes have no minimum requirements for rice polishing. Junmai can also be used as a modifying term for other sake categories, indicating no added alcohol, as in Junmai Ginjo, or Tokubetsu (Special) Junmai. Basic Junmai with lower polishing and more earthy, mineral, and rice notes.

Junmai

Sake made with a traditional labor intensive yamaoroshi process for the fermentation starter. It is created by way of natural elements and without the aid of the quicker acting, commercially available lactic acid.

Kimoto

The fermentation process unique to sake wherein koji mold converts starch to sugar while yeast simultaneously ferments the resulting sugar into alcohol.

Multiple Parallel Fermentation

Sake that has not been filtered, and the true “unfiltered sake”. This is different from Nigori sake.

Muroka

Unpasteurized sake. The vast majority of sakes are pasteurized twice during production to keep the products fresh, longer. Pasteurization typically occurs in tank (after pressing and before bottling) and again, after or as the sake is bottled. Namazake or namasake represent a category where one or both of the pasteurizations are skipped, to retain aromas & flavors from yeast, koji & other flavor-producing microorganisms. Unpasteurized sakes retain strong aromas from Koji, with marzipan, hazelnut & toasted rice notes. They should be stored refrigerated.

Nama or Nama Nama – completely unpasteurized
Namazume – pasteurized once in tank
Namachozo – pasteurized once after bottling

Nama

Means cloudy. Not to be confused with “unfiltered” sake. All sake must legally have at least some of the solids pressed, or filtered out. In nigorizake, sake rice lees solids, called kasu, remain after pressing, or are reincorporated after pressing, to contribute richness & texture. They range in levels of cloudiness, creaminess & sweetness.

Nigori

Measures sake’s density relative to water and serves as a general guide to its dryness or sweetness. The HIGHER the number, the DRIER the sake.

Sake Meter Value or SMV

The percent of rice remaining after it is milled. This number is very common on bottles and in sake descriptions.

Seimaibuai

Literally means special. These sake may be made from a sake specific rice strain, or any rice polished to Ginjo grade (minimum 60% semaibuai) or must be made using a “special technique” that makes it “special” which must be indicated on the label. One general understanding about Tokubetsu sake is, although they may qualify for higher grades based on seimaibuai, they typically don’t exhibit the Ginjo-ka, or ginjo aroma desired for those categories.

Tokubetsu

Sake made without the traditional labor intensive yamaoroshi process for the fermentation starter. It is created by way of natural elements and without the aid of the quicker acting, commercially available lactic acid.

Sake Glossary