Sake Declassified ~ Part Two
In the first part, we covered how to spot sake, or “rice wine”, among the sea of similar and perplexing labels for various kinds of Japanese alcohol, as well as a brief intro to each of the basic ingredients and how they contribute to what you find in the bottle. Now it’s time to delve a little deeper into how these ingredients, and the various ways in which they are processed and combined, result in the extensive lexicon you’ll find on most sake labels and provide you with the knowledge you’ll need to decode them.
Milling About
Within its blanket definition as “seishu” or “nihonshu”, sake is classified into eight categories, all based on 精米歩合 (“seimaibuai”) or “rice polishing ratio”. These tell us how much of the original rice grain has been polished away (in percentage terms) and whether a portion of distilled alcohol has been added. As a whole, these eight categories are referred to as 特定名称酒 (“tokutei meisho-shu”), a special designation generally referred to as “premium-grade” sake.
In addition to the above, for a sake to qualify as tokutei meisho-shu under Japanese liquor tax law, the 麹米 (“kojimai”), which is the steamed rice used for making rice koji for the mash, must constitute at least 15% or more of the total weight of the rice used in the brewing process, any alcohol added should be 10% or less than the total weight of the rice, and that the rice used in sake making has to be certified and graded.
It sounds complicated, but the main point is making sure that what you’re drinking hasn’t been either watered down or adulterated with other ingredients — it is indeed “rice wine”.
These eight classifications of premium-grade sake are split into two further groups:
純米酒 Junmai-shu
Sake made exclusively with rice and rice koji are able to be branded “junmai”, or “pure” sake, meaning that no distilled alcohol has been added. There are four classifications within the junmai-shu group:
純米 junmai is made using only rice and rice koji, with no distilled alcohol added. Note that there are no restrictions on the seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) for this classification.
特別純米 tokubetsu junmai is also made using only rice and rice koji with no distilled alcohol added, with at least one of the following additional requirements also being met: the seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) must be less than 60%, the sake must be made entirely from 酒造好適米 (“shuzo-kotekimai”) or rice that has been specifically cultivated for sake brewing, or something of a similar significance, warranting official recognition for its “special” production methods.
純米吟醸 junmai ginjo is made using only rice and rice koji with no distilled alcohol added, and has a seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) of less than 60%.
純米大吟醸 junmai daiginjo is made using only rice and rice koji with no distilled alcohol added, and has a seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) of less than 50%.
本醸造酒 Honjozo-shu
Sake made with rice and rice koji, with a small amount of distilled alcohol added. The amount of distilled alcohol must be specified and the seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) must also be less than 70%. There are four classifications within the honjozo-shu group:
本醸造 honjozo is made using rice, rice koji, and a small amount of distilled alcohol. The seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) must also be less than 70%.
特別本醸造 tokubetsu honjozo is made using rice, rice koji, and small amount of distilled alcohol added, with at least one of the following additional requirements also being met: the seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) must be less than 60%, the sake must be made entirely from 酒造好適米 (“shuzo-kotekimai”) or rice that has been specifically cultivated for sake brewing, or something of a similar significance, warranting official recognition for its “special” production methods.
吟醸 ginjo is made using rice, rice koji, and small amount of distilled alcohol added, and has a seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) of less than 60%.
大吟醸 daiginjo is made using rice, rice koji, and small amount of distilled alcohol added, and has a seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) of less than 50%.
What makes tokubetsu special?
You might have noticed that the requirements for tokubetsu junmai/honjozo and junmai ginjo/ginjo outline above are more-or-less the same. So why not just label them all with the “premium” junmai ginjo/ginjo appellation and simply forego tokubetsu junmai/honjozo altogether, you may ask.
In some cases, a brewery may already have an established line of sake under the junmai ginjo or ginjo classifications, and when they want to release something new the tokubetsu class presents a relatively safe way to classify it without causing confusion and potentially cannibalising sales of their existing products.
The tokubetsu class also represents a space where breweries can experiment, attempting something novel and fun. As you may recall, in order to qualify for the tokubetsu junmai/honjozo class, only one of the three requirements needs to be met: a seimaibuai of 60% or less, 100% use of shuzo-kotekimai, or any one of various other “special” production methods having been employed. Generally speaking, most tokubetsu junmai/honjozo you come across usually earns its designation through the first or second requirements.
The deeper you delve into sake appreciation (after passing through the almost inevitable junmai daiginjo-only phase), the more the tokubetsu junmai class, in particular, presents itself as a great place to discover some fun,interesting, and truly special sake.
Decidedly Ordinary
Any other sake that does not fit into the premium categories outlined above is classified as 普通酒 (“futsu-shu”), meaning “normal” or “table” sake. At present, futsu-shu makes up about 70% of the total production by volume in the sake industry.
The amount of distilled alcohol added to futsu-shu usually exceeds the 10% limit imposed on tokutei meisho-shu, and other additives such as sweetner or acidifier are often added to adjust the flavour as well. There are also no rules on seimaibuai (rice polishing ratio) and the types of rice used in making futsu-shu.
Usually, if you pick up a bottle of sake and do not see any of the eight tokutei meisho-shu classifications on the label, then it is almost certain to be futsu-shu by default, whether the word futsu-shu is present on the label or not.
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On that note, now that you have a general idea of what to expect, what to look out for, and perhaps what to avoid, in the exciting world of sake, it’s time to start exploring, experiencing, and enjoying the wonders of Japan’s national brew for yourself!
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