Types of Sake
Sake can be divided into the following groups according to the type of brewing process.
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Junmai-shu
The name means "pure rice".
Junmai-shu is sake composed of only rice, water, koji and sake yeast.
No other ingredients or additives, such as alcohol or sugar, are added.
The rice that has been polished to 70% or less of its original size is used to brew.
The sake character tends to have a full-bodied and slightly acidic.
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| Honjozo-shu
In this sake, not more than 120 liters or raw alcohol per each metric ton
of white rice and no glucose have been added during brewing process.Added alcohol cannnot exceed 25% of the total alcohol in the finished product.
In the U.S. it is not legal to make Honjozo-shu or to add alcohol to sake.Imported Honjozo-shu is categorized into distilled spirits.
The sake character tends to lighter than Junmai-shu.
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| Ginjo-shu
Ginjo-shu is a special type of Junmai-shu or Honjozo-shu, and considered the
highest achievement of the brewer's art.
All the rice employed in brewing Ginjo-shu must be polished to at least 60% of its original
size. Dai-Ginjo-shu is brewed with the rice polished to at least 50%.
In many Ginjo-shu brewers use special yeasts in making Moto,
and ferment the final mash very slowly at low temperature.
This extra effort produce a sake that is lighter, clean taste and tangy flavor and an aroma.
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| Nama-sake
Nama-sake means "Draft sake".
In this sake, fresh sake is microfiltered instead of other sake is pasteurized twice, once before aging and once in the process of bottling.
Nama-sake is fruity and fresh taste with pleasant aroma.
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| Nigori-sake
Nigori -"Cloudy"- sake is unfilterd or roughly filterd so that
some Moromi in the fermenting tank make it into the bottle.
This sake is a milky white appearance.
Nigori-sake is bold and sweet taste.
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| Genshu
Genshu is undiluted sake.
After filtration, sake has an alcohol content of around 19%.
Most of sake on the market have been diluted with water until their
alcohol contents falls to between 12 and 16%.
Genshu is full-bodied and rich taste.
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