Sake Glossary

The specifications are the same as for Ginjō sakés but the percentage of rate after milling the rice is equal or less than 50% (i.e. at least 50% of the original weight of the rice grain is removed). These are very refined sakés, extremely well balanced and very aromatic.

These are so-called “ordinary” or “common” sakés , i.e. sakés that are not part of the Official Classification of Premium Sakés (tokutei meishō-shu).

Toward the end of the fermentation process, the ABV (alcohol by volume) generally ranges from 18 to 20%. To ensure a proper body balance, it is necessary to add some water to bring the rate down to 14-16%. Genshu sakés are sakés produced with no water whatsoever added after pressing; as a result, the ABV of Genshu sakés are generally (but not necessarily though) higher than average.

These sakés are included in the Official Classification of Premium Sakés : they are produced through a lengthy fermentation process at low temperature and with a percentage of rate after rice milling of equal or less than 60%. These are generally well-balanced and aromatic sakés (depending though on the choice made by the producer).

Among the Premium Saké Designations, it is possible to add a little bit of neutral alcohol toward the end of the fermentation process (subject to regulation and very limited in volume terms) in order to fix certain aromatic molecules that are highly volatile : the result is the production of sakés that carry a lighter taste and often are more aromatic.

These are so-called “pure rice” sakés i.e. sakés that are produced with rice, Kōji and water only (no addition at all of neutral alcohol toward the end of the fermentation process). The Junmai sakés tend to be usually more acidic and have a fuller body than non-junmai sakés.

These sakés are very special; in their production, part of the water to be added in the production process is replaced by already made saké (generally, 50% of the actual volume of water).

Two different production processes to initiate the fermentation using traditional methods for the yeast starter where the lactic acid is naturally formed (in contrast to the current modern, so-called “quick method” whereby the lactic acid is added to save time) and which require an additional 15 days (in the case of the Yamahai method, the yeast starter is left alone and without any blend or mix, allowing for the generation of even richer and marked or pronounced flavors).

Rice, steamed beforehand, inoculated by “Kōji-kin” mold (a fungus from the Eurotiomycetes class called “Aspergillus oryzae” in Latin). The resulting Kōji rice is used as a source of enzymes in order to trigger, among other things, the transformation of the starch into various types of sugars (saccharification). Its preparation is one of the most difficult stages and key stages in the production process.

Matured sakés that gone through maturation for at least 3 years (in casks or in bottles or in both).

Saké production house (from the Japanese kanji character “saka” for saké and the kanji character “kura” for cellar or warehousing or store, and by extension the place where Saké is being produced).

More specifically called Sakagura.

Sake producer and owner of a Sakagura.

Every and all sakés have to be properly and fully filtered (and though more or less crudely still properly filtered in the case of the Nigori sakés) to deserve the "Saké Designation".


Whenever mention is made to an “unfiltered sake”, as is the case of Muroka sakés, it means that it didn’t go through a usual second fine filtration process that requires the use of so-called “active charcoal” (carried out after pressing which is the official mandatory filtration).

These so-called “raw” sakés are (very) little or not pasteurized.

These are so-called “cloudy or turbid” sakés, which are more or less crudely filtered and which still contained some residues of rice coming from the fermentation mesh.

Saké production house (from the Japanese kanji character “saka” for saké and the kanji character “kura” for cellar or warehousing or store, and by extension the place where Saké is being produced).

The more general term "kura" can be used sometimes.

A specific and very complex procedure for Saké production, which requires notably the use of Kōji as well as recourse to a double fermentation process carried out in parallel.

The saké is subject to traditional sakéification or "sakemaking" like wine is subject to classical vinification or winemaking and beer to brewing.

(pronounced "say my boo eye") is the Japanese word standing for the milling rate of the rice grain, i.e. the percentage rate at which the rice grain's exterior surface has been polished away.

Be aware, however, that the number shown is the percentage rate of the rice grain remaining after the milling (“seimai” = milling and “buai” = rate in %).

For instance, le label on the bottle of Saké indicating a seimai-buai of 60% means that the rice grain used in the production process weights no more than 60% of its initial weight (hence, after 40% of the original weight was actually removed (or milled away).

These are fizzy sakés.

Sakés that have matured some time in wood casks.

Saké-making master. He is in charge and responsible for the production and, traditionally, an independent worker, member of a regional guild, holder of an ancestral know-how, although it is no longer always the case nowadays.

Two different production processes to initiate the fermentation using traditional methods for the yeast starter where the lactic acid is naturally formed (in contrast to the current modern, so-called “quick method” whereby the lactic acid is added to save time) and which require an additional 15 days (in the case of the Yamahai method, the yeast starter is left alone and without any blend or mix, allowing for the generation of even richer and marked or pronounced flavors).