Sake in this column is brewed using Rice, Water, Koji Mold and a very small amount of distilled alcohol to extract flavor. Water is later added, so that such Sake is NOT fortified. It is simply another method of brewing.

Sake in this column is brewed using Rice, Water and Koji Mold only. No distilled alcohol has been used in the process. Although this is the original, traditional method of brewing, it is just one more method.

Rice Milled To:

Increasing quality, price, fragrance and complexity. "Premium Sake."

Daiginjo-shu

(A sublcass of ginjo-shu above in that it is brewed using even more painstaking, labor intensive methods. The pinnacle of the Sake brewer’s art. Generally light, complex, and fragrant.)

Junmai-Daiginjo-shu

(A subclass of ginjo-shu above in that it is brewed using even more painstaking, labor intensive methods. The pinnacle of the Sake brewer’s art. )

At least

50% (50% milled away, often as much as 65% removed)

Ginjo-shu

(Brewed with labor intensive steps, eschewing machinery, and fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods.)

The four Sake types within this box are

"Ginjo-shu" represents super-premium

Junmai-Ginjo-shu

( A subclass in which, like junmai-shu above, only rice, water and koji have been used.)

collectively known as "Ginjoshu,"

Sake; the pinnacle of the Sake world.

At least

60%

(40% or more milled away)

Honjozo-shu

( Brewed using a very small amount of pure distilled alcohol.)

(Note also Tokubetsu Honjozo, or "Special" Honjozo, a vague definition indicating Honjozo-shu made with either special rice or more highly milled rice.)

Junmai-shu

( Made with nothing but rice, water and koji mold.)

(Note also Tokubetsu Junmai, or "Special" Junmai, a vague definition indicating Junmai-shu made with either special rice or more highly milled rice.)

At least

70%

(30% or more milled away)

Normal "Table" Sake

Sake above this line is also collectively referred to as "tokutei meishoushu" or "special designation Sake," and can be considered "premiums Sake," but constitutes only about 20% of the entire market, with Sake below this line, "futsu-shu" or "normal Sake" constituting the remaining 80% or so.

Futsu-shu

( Normal Sake : "Table Sake")

No Minimum Requirements