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TYPES OF SAKE
Essentially the more the rice is milled, the cleaner, lighter, more delicate and more fragrant the finished Saké is likely to be. Saké is graded according to the percentage of the grain left and this percentage A 60% seimaibuai indicates that 40% of the grain has been grounded away. Nonetheless the grade does not represent its tasting quality of Saké, and often you come across the Saké of the lower grade that taste extremely well and better than that of higher grade.
Here is the guideline of each different grade & type;
Futsu-shu: Table Saké, the bottom grade, "futsu" stands for the word "ordinary" and "-shu" for "nihonshu" or "Saké".
Tokutei Meishou-shu: The premium Saké above futsu-shu is collectively referred to as "tokutei Meisho-shu" or "special designation Saké". These Sakés are graded according to the degree of automation used in their production and the degree of milling. The more the rice is milled the higher the grade.
lowest grade of tokutei meisho-shu. Honjozo must be at least 70% seimaibuai. A small amount(less than 10% of the total amount of the original grain before milling used for its production) of distilled pure alcohol(typically made of sugar cane) is added. As a result, the flavor becomes lighter, and the fragrance much more prominent.
The Saké was brewed using only rice (sakamai), water and koji, and that no brewing Alcohol was added. Saké without "Junmai" term on the label has had some distilled brewing alcohol added during its production. Junmai often has a fuller, richer body and a slightly higher acidity.
NOTE: The laws have changed, and Junmai-shu no longer requires a specified milling rate(used to be at least 70% seimaibuai). Nevertheless, the amount milled away must, by law, be listed somewhere on the label.
: This premium Saké must be at least 60% seimaibuai. Ginjo is brewed using labor intensive methods and fermented at colder temperatures for longer than honjozo, producing an aromatic Saké with a fruity or floral, delicate taste.
: To make this premium Saké, at least 50% of the rice used must have been milled away. although this often goes to 35%, and even more care than that taken for brewing ginjo-shu has been employed to create Saké representative of the pinnacle of the craft. The koji must be entirely handcrafted. These Sakés are complex and fragrant.
Namazake: The Saké that has not been pasteurized. It should be stored cold, or the flavor and clarity could suffer. Namazake has a fresh, lively touch to the flavor. All types of Saké, honjozo, junmai-shu, ginjo-shu, and daiginjo-shu, can be namazake.
Nigorizake: is non-filtered cloudy Saké. The Saké is passed through a very loose weave to separate it from the mash, and there is much rice sediment in the bottle. Before serving, the bottle is shaken to mix the sediment and turn the Saké white or cloudy
Ko-shu: The Saké that is aged over 1 year, normally Saké (except Namazake) is aged for 6 months after it's brewed, typically brewed during the winter and aged in a tank till autumn then bottled for the consumption, this Saké is called "hiya-oroshi" which taste much more round and mild than freshly brewed Saké . However Saké, just like wine, can be aged over the years and more and more consumer appreciate the matured Saké better as the increasing number of Saké brewers in Japan put more efforts in the development of the products to match the taste and needs of consumer today in Japan as well as overseas.
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