Does Sake tastes good?

Question

Im interest in knowing if sake has a good flavor. Can you help me?

Answer 1

Varieties

There are two basic types of sake futsuu-shu (普通酒) "normal sake" and tokutei meishoshu(特定名称酒) "special designation sake".

futsuu-shu does not qualify for any levels of special designation sake. It is the equivalent of table wine and is over 75% of all sake produced. On the other hand the tokutei meishoshu or "special designation sake" is distinguished by the degree of polishing (milling) the rice or purity (restriction on adding distilled alcohol). Polishing is important because the inside part of rice kernels contains the starch (which is what ferments) and the outside parts contain oils and proteins, which tend to leave strange or unpleasant flavors in the final product. Polishing the rice removes the outer parts and leaves only the starchy core.

There are four types of tokutei meishoshu (actually six, due to mixing and matching the junmai and ginjo varieties).

* honjozo-shu (本醸造), with a slight amount of distilled alcohol added. The distilled alcohol helps pull some extra flavors out of the mash. This term was created in the late 1960s to describe the difference between it (a premium, flavorful sake) from cheaply made liquors to which large amounts of alcohol were added simply to increase volume and/or give it a high alcohol content.
* junmai-shu (純米酒, literally "pure rice wine"), made from rice only. Prior to 2004, the Japanese government mandated that at least 30% of the rice be polished away, no alcohol added, if the sake was to be considered junmai. Today, it can represent any sake milled to any degree, that contains no additives or distilled alcohol.
* ginjo-shu (吟醸酒), rice weight polished away 40-50%.
* daiginjo-shu (大吟醸酒), rice weight polished to 50% or less.

The term junmai can be added in front of either ginjo or daiginjo if no alcohol is added to result in either junmai ginjo or junmai daiginjo. Please note that often distilled alcohol is added in small amounts to ginjo and daiginjo to highten the aroma, not to increase volume, so a junmai daiginjo is not automatically better than a daiginjo. In fact most sake that win the gold medals at the Hiroshima Kanpyokai (read the most premium of all sakes), are not allowed to be called junmai due to the small amounts of alcohol added

In addition, there are some other terms commonly used to describe sake:

* kuroshu (黒酒), sake using unpolished rice (brown rice), more like the Chinese production method.
* koshu (古酒), aged sake. Most sake does not age well but this specially made type can age for decades, turning the sake yellow and giving it a honeyed flavor.
* taruzake (樽酒), sake aged in cedar barrels. The barrel aging gives this type it's characteristic spicyness. Also refers to sake casks broken open for the opening of buildings, businesses, holidays, etc. As the cedar barrels imparts a flavor, premium sake is rarely used for this type.
* seishu (清酒), the official name for Japanese sake, but excluding nigorizake and doburoku.
* shizuku (雫), sake which is separated from lees without external pressure by hanging moromi bags an allowing it to drip slowly.
* tobin-gakoi (斗瓶囲い), sake which was pressed into separate bottles usually using the shizuku method, each containing 18 liters. The resulting bottles permits the brewer to select the best sake of the batch for shipping.
* shiboritate (搾立), sake which has been shipped without the traditional 6 month aging/maturation period. The result is usually a more acidic, "greener" sake.

Some other terms commonly used in connection with sake:

* kasu (粕), the sake lees left after filtering, used for making tsukemono, cuisine (sakekasujiru, etc.), livestock feed, and for making shochu.
* nihon shudo (日本酒度), = (|1/specifik gravity|-1) x 1443 Specific gravity is measured on a scale weighting the same amount of water at 4°C and sake at 15°C. This means the sweeter the sake is, the lower the number gets. When they started to work with the nihon shudo 0 was the break even point between sweet Sake and dry Sake. Now this point is +3. Most sake varies in nihon shudo between sweetest -30 to most dry +15
* seimai-buai (精米歩合), the rice polishing ratio, meaning the left over weight after polishing. The lower the number, the better is the potential of the sake.

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Types of brewing process

By varying the brewing process, many different types of sake can be created. Categorized by brewing method, there are three types of Sake:

* Kimoto (生酛) is the traditionally orthodox method for brewing sake which has been in use for at least 300 years, though very rare today. The mash is hand beaten and made into a paste which then ferments.
* Yamahai (山廃) is a traditional method of brewing sake introduced in the early 1900s, where the starter or "moto" is left for a month to allow it to sour. The method was originally developed to speed production time, however, now it is used to impart a higher acidity and complex flavors.
* Sokujo (速醸) is the modern sake which is made by adding a small amount of lactic acid to the mash to speed the production time. Sokujo sake tends to have a cleaner flavor than Kimoto or Yamahai.
* Namazake (生酒) is sake that has not been pasteurized and is best served chilled, and may be made with any of the above ingredients, or brewing processes.
* Genshu (原酒), supposed to be undiluted junmai sake, around 18-20% alc. by volume. Most genshu is honjozo-shu to make it more economical, however, the method of sake brewing is growing in popularity among premium brands as well.
* Muroka (無濾過), means unfiltered. This type of sake is made as traditional seishu (i.e. not nigorizake), but does not go through the charcoal filtering, so there is a small amount of cloudyness. In recent years, muroka nama genshu sake is growing in popularity as it has a large enough flavor profile so that it can stand up to full flavored western foods.
* Nigorizake (濁り酒), is cloudy sake. The sake is passed through a very loose weave to separate it from the mash. It is of course not filtered thereafter and there is much rice sediment in the bottle. Before serving the bottle is shaken to mix the sediment and turn the sake white or cloudy.
* Doburoku (濁酒) is the classic home-brew style of sake and is traditionally a cloudy milky color, as the most delicious flavors are found in the white residue. Doburoku is created by adding steamed rice at the end of fermentation, starting a second fermentation and raising the alcohol level. It is also unpasteurized. Please note that although the kanji for doburoku and nigorizake are same and they are both opaque, they are in fact different styles sake, with doburoku being the "chunkier" of the two.

By creating a starter-culture of micro-organisms, a higher-quality brew is possible. The starter-culture, called "moto" (元) is stored at 5-10°C, allowing the lactic acid micro-organisms to become dominant in the culture. Lactic acid is important to flavor and preventing un-wanted infections. Subsequently, the addition of moromi (諸味 or 醪) is added at three separate stages. The moromi is just the kōji, rice, and water. Initiating a brew with a starter-culture, and th

Answer 2

I think it's great. Since someone above already posted a lot of info on the different types, I only want to stress that good sake is always enjoyed cold. Many restaurants serve hot sake, which is rotgut, but most decent Japanese places have a cold sake selection.

Answer 3

Like most things, good sake is good and cheap sake can be terrible. I enjoy it - the ones I have had have had a slightly sweet slick taste.

Answer 4

There are many types of sake, best to buy some from a sushi restaurant as opposed to a supermarket where you are not sure what you are buying, I would recommend the house sake, hot or cold its great, try it for yourself .

Answer 5

Its very different from liquor here in the States. Its an acquired taste. Its not sweet like wine or malty like beer. Its best cold for a first try, but also try it heated up. There's really no way to describe it, but give it a try anyway. I've learned to like it, but its not my first choice of beverage.

Answer 6

sake is like a light white wine, but packs a huge punch. not much taste is good for getting drunk in a hurry be careful!!!

Answer 7

Sake has different kinds of taste. It could be sweet, dry, or bitter. They say it's different everytime you use a different cup.

Answer 8

It is better warmed, and do not confuse with cooking Sake. The first sip is like jet fuel hitting your throat, but the secind sip is better!

Answer 9

I tried it. Once. The only way i could get it down was to mix it with orange juice. I must admit that was not too bad.....but sake on its own is pretty deadly.

Answer 10

To be honest with you it doesn't really have much of a taste if you ask me.. It's a little like water..

Answer 11

i personally like it, it doesn't have a strong flavor, it tastes almost sweet in my opinion. i like it best heated.