SAKE CLASSIFICATIONS

•  Futsu-shu- Regular sake.  Mass produced. Has additives, preservatives and lots of added low grade  alcohol to "stretch it". Often results in terrible hangovers.
• ​Premium Sake- Less than 25% of all sake produced. Has no additives, preservatives or sulfites except in some styles a small amount of high grade brewers alcohol. 

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Tokutei Meishoshu/ Special Designation Sake /Sake Prémio

JUNMAI SAKES ​Pure Sake. No Added Alcohol​ Made with only Rice, Water and Koji mold.	NON JUNMAI SAKES ​A Small Amount of Brewers Alcohol Added to Enhance Flavor & Aroma
純米酒 Junmai-  Pure sake.  Polishing rate used to be at least 70% but since 2005 it has become undefined allowing greater creative freedom. However milling ratio must be indicated on the label.  Junmai sakes tend be higher in acidity, rich, flavorful and full bodied. Lots of Umami	本醸造酒 Honjozo ​At least 70% Rice Milling Ratio. A small amount of distilled grain alcohol is added. Light and mild flavor. Can be served any temperature. The right choice for sake based cocktails
特別純米 Tokubetsu Junmai-Special Junmai A sub category category of Junmai. Must have at least one of the following characteristics.  1.) Made with 100% proper sake rice. 2.) Ginjo level rice polishing rate. 3.) A Special characteristic approved &  listed on the label.	特別本醸造 Tokubetsu Honjozo-Special Honjozo A sub category category of Honjozo. Must have at least one of the following characteristics.  1.) Made with 100% proper sake rice. 2.) Ginjo level rice polishing rate. 3.) A Special characteristic approvaed & listed on the label.
純米 吟醸酒 Junmai Ginjo  Minimum of 60% Rice Milling Ratio. No alcohol added. Usually aromatic, delicate, light, complex and fruity or flowery. Typically involves lower fermentation temperatures and specific techniques	吟醸酒 Ginjo  Minimum of 60% Rice Milling Ratio with a small amount of distilled alcohol added.  Usually aromatic, delicate, light, complex and  fruity or flowery. Typically involve lower fermentation temperatures and specific techniques
純米大吟醸 Junmai Daiginjo  At least 50% Rice Milling Ratio. The highest possible category. No alcohol added. Usually, light, complex, intricate and/or artisinal brews. Fragrant although usually less so than a Ginjo.	大吟醸 Daiginjo  At least 50% Rice Milling Ratio. Alcohol added. Usually aroma is subtle, light and clean. Often Intricate and/or artisinal brews.

酒米 (Sakamai)
Sake Rice is different than the rice that you eat. It is lower in protein and higher in starch. There are about 100 different varieties of sake rice. The best known is probably Yamadanishiki. You may have heard of some others such as Omachi, Wataribune, Miyama Nishiki or Gohyakumangoku

Some Basic Sake Styles

Unpasteurized 生 ​Sake is usually pastureized twice. Once before storing and once before bottling.	Unfiltered Sake is usually separated from the moromi (lees) and then goes through charcoal filtration	Traditional Brewing Methods (until 1900s) ​No added yeast or lactic acid. Develops naturally	OTHER BASIC STYLES
Nama​ Unpastureized	Nigori ​Filtered through a course cloth thus some of the lees remains resulting in a milky or cloudy sake	Kimoto Original brewing method. Yeast starter  prepared by manually mixing with poles resulting in the formation of natural lactic bacteria.	Genshu Undiluted. No water added
Nama Chozo Undergoes only the second pastureization	Muroka Has not gone through the carbon filtration process	Yamahai Basically the same as Kimoto but does not involve manual mixing w/poles as it was eventually discovered this step was not necessary	Taru sake Stored in cedar casks giving it a distinct cedar aroma.
Namazume ​Undergoes only the first pastureization	Usunigori Has been pressed so only a small amount of lees remains	Bodaimoto	Shiboritate Just pressed. Very fresh young sake.

Other Important Sake Vocabulary

Arabashiri-made from the first press of the firmentation process
Amazake-a sweet drink made from rice which is sacchrified but non alcoholic
Amino Sando-Amino acids
Atsu-kan-very hot sake
Doburoku-completely unfiltered sake but does not qualify as sake under Japanese tax regulations
Ginjoka- refers to the aromas of ginjo designation sake
Taru Sake-stored in cedar casks
Shinshu-first sake of the year once brewing is complete
​Hiyaoroshi-seasonal, limited sake. Shinshu that has been stored and not released until fall.
​Koshu-Aged
​Kijoshu- sweet dessert sake. Made by replacing part of the water with sak . similar to Port.
Jizake - usually small batch, local.
Seishu-the technical name for Japanese sake. Literal meaning is "refined sake".
Koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) ​
Shinpaku-the white and hard starchy center found in sake rice
Hi-ire-sake pastureization 
Isshobin- A 1.8 liter bottle of sake
Sanmi-Acidity
Shubo-Yeast starter
Tanrei Karakuchi- Light & Crisp, Salariman typically enjoy this at Izakaya
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To have a complete list at your fingertips Download the SAKE DICTIONARY available on IOS