WSET SAKE LEVEL 3 WITH 100% CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS / LATEST 2024-2025.
1. How sake is different from beer ?: (1) Sake is only used polished rice, beer used
unpolished grains (usally barley)
(2) Beer need the process called "malting",to break starch down into fermentable
sugar, sake used koji mold to break starch down into sugars.
(3) Beer is used single line fermentation technology, sake making is used parelle
2. Yamada Nishiki: q0& The number 1 variety of sake-specific rice. Hyogo
prefecture, 30% of the total sake-specific rice.
Features:
· large grain, large well-defined shinpaku ( make it ideal for polishing down to
extremely low rice polishing ratios) ideal for ginjo and daiginjo styles.
· generous full soft texture, purity, precision, aromatically, light in intensity
3. Nama Chozo: .Ï Legally defined as a sake pasteurized just once. this is a way
of providing some of the characters of nama-zake.
The first (pre-storage) pasteurized is avoided. After filtration ’ storage in bulk ’
pasteurized in bulk also in bottle.
4. Nama-zume: Ø not legally defined. before storage in bulk and later bottled
without a second pasteurization.
After filtration ’ pasteurized in bulk ’storage in bulk ’ bottled (without a second
pasteurized)
5. Hiya-oroshi: ·x is nama-zume that released as an autumn seasonal product once
the heat of the summer has passed.
6. Bin hi-ire ( once pasteurized ) = bottle pasteurisation: before storage in
bottle, because the sake is already bottled, the second post-storage pasteurized is
unnecessary. this avoids the distinct aromas of nama-zake, which can develop in bottle.
7. Yabuta-Shibori (Assakuki ): yabuta is the major brand of the machine. A
modern industry standard for filtration. Fast, efficient, no contamination risk, good at
minimising oxidation. Strong pressure can release coarse components from the lees
into the sake. for futsu-shu, junmai, honjozo, also for ginjo and daiginjo.
8. Funa-Shibori: Gentle pressure, box press, ideal for premium sakes ( ginjo\
daiginjo\junmai daiginjo ). Time and labor consuming. ( takes about 2 days )
9. Fukuro-Shibori: Drip filtration, bags are hung and sake drips into 18 L bottles.
No external pressure. Very time, space and labor consuming. Less sake expressed.
1/8
, 10. . Gohyakuman Goku: ”~ ó Niigata, 25% of the total sake-specific rice, good
for making Koji, very light aromas, textures and flavors, well-suited for light simple
delicate and dry with a short clean finish.
11. Miyama Nishiki: Žq& Nagano •Î. 10% of the total sake-specific rice. Adapted
growing in cool mountainous condition. Rich and robust, sometimes with grip and
graininess in their texture, aromas tend to restrain.
12. Dawa Sansan: ú½•• A specialty of Yamagata prefecture. 2% of the total sake-
specific rice.
· Dawa33 : Junmai ginjo brewed from dawa sansan rice, local water, koji, yeast.
· Purity and depth of flavor, typically with herbal element in their aromas.
AÛã I
13. Omachi: Ä: Okayama . 2% of the total sake-specific rice. Oldest strain of rice
used today found in Hiroshima and Okayama. One of parents of Yamada Nishiki.
Difficult to polish, semai-buai often about 40%, rich texture, earthy and spicy, higher
umami and less purity, often delicious served warm.
14. So-haze: ;4¾ The koji mould covers the entire rice grain sending many feeding
tubes into the centre of the rice grain.
· encourage by using rice grain with higher moisture content.
· in this style koji has high levels of enzymes, vitamins , sugars, amino acids and
peptides.
· so-haze is more rapid starch conversion and support a faster and warmer
fermentation. more body and flavor for final sake styles:
1, futsu-sake (n R to boost the flavor when jozo alcohol is added.
2, premium sake: intense flavor , full body, higher acidity and higher umami.
15. Tsuki-haze: •4¾ The koji mould grows in a lightly spotted pattern over the rice
grain, have some well-developed feeding tubes are grown into the center of the rice
grain.
To created the tsuki-haze need :
1, the level of moisture in the grain is controlled.
2, the amount of the koji mould spores uesd is restricted.
3, the koji room is warmer and less humid.
16. Types of koji ¹ used in Japan: (1) ki-koji ù or yellow koji - aspergillus oryzae,
produces strong enzymes, used for sake, soy sauce, miso
(2) kuro-koji ѹor black koji - aspergillus awamori, produces high citric acid and
strong enzymes, used for awamori (Okinawa distilled spirits)
2/8
ANSWERS / LATEST 2024-2025.
1. How sake is different from beer ?: (1) Sake is only used polished rice, beer used
unpolished grains (usally barley)
(2) Beer need the process called "malting",to break starch down into fermentable
sugar, sake used koji mold to break starch down into sugars.
(3) Beer is used single line fermentation technology, sake making is used parelle
2. Yamada Nishiki: q0& The number 1 variety of sake-specific rice. Hyogo
prefecture, 30% of the total sake-specific rice.
Features:
· large grain, large well-defined shinpaku ( make it ideal for polishing down to
extremely low rice polishing ratios) ideal for ginjo and daiginjo styles.
· generous full soft texture, purity, precision, aromatically, light in intensity
3. Nama Chozo: .Ï Legally defined as a sake pasteurized just once. this is a way
of providing some of the characters of nama-zake.
The first (pre-storage) pasteurized is avoided. After filtration ’ storage in bulk ’
pasteurized in bulk also in bottle.
4. Nama-zume: Ø not legally defined. before storage in bulk and later bottled
without a second pasteurization.
After filtration ’ pasteurized in bulk ’storage in bulk ’ bottled (without a second
pasteurized)
5. Hiya-oroshi: ·x is nama-zume that released as an autumn seasonal product once
the heat of the summer has passed.
6. Bin hi-ire ( once pasteurized ) = bottle pasteurisation: before storage in
bottle, because the sake is already bottled, the second post-storage pasteurized is
unnecessary. this avoids the distinct aromas of nama-zake, which can develop in bottle.
7. Yabuta-Shibori (Assakuki ): yabuta is the major brand of the machine. A
modern industry standard for filtration. Fast, efficient, no contamination risk, good at
minimising oxidation. Strong pressure can release coarse components from the lees
into the sake. for futsu-shu, junmai, honjozo, also for ginjo and daiginjo.
8. Funa-Shibori: Gentle pressure, box press, ideal for premium sakes ( ginjo\
daiginjo\junmai daiginjo ). Time and labor consuming. ( takes about 2 days )
9. Fukuro-Shibori: Drip filtration, bags are hung and sake drips into 18 L bottles.
No external pressure. Very time, space and labor consuming. Less sake expressed.
1/8
, 10. . Gohyakuman Goku: ”~ ó Niigata, 25% of the total sake-specific rice, good
for making Koji, very light aromas, textures and flavors, well-suited for light simple
delicate and dry with a short clean finish.
11. Miyama Nishiki: Žq& Nagano •Î. 10% of the total sake-specific rice. Adapted
growing in cool mountainous condition. Rich and robust, sometimes with grip and
graininess in their texture, aromas tend to restrain.
12. Dawa Sansan: ú½•• A specialty of Yamagata prefecture. 2% of the total sake-
specific rice.
· Dawa33 : Junmai ginjo brewed from dawa sansan rice, local water, koji, yeast.
· Purity and depth of flavor, typically with herbal element in their aromas.
AÛã I
13. Omachi: Ä: Okayama . 2% of the total sake-specific rice. Oldest strain of rice
used today found in Hiroshima and Okayama. One of parents of Yamada Nishiki.
Difficult to polish, semai-buai often about 40%, rich texture, earthy and spicy, higher
umami and less purity, often delicious served warm.
14. So-haze: ;4¾ The koji mould covers the entire rice grain sending many feeding
tubes into the centre of the rice grain.
· encourage by using rice grain with higher moisture content.
· in this style koji has high levels of enzymes, vitamins , sugars, amino acids and
peptides.
· so-haze is more rapid starch conversion and support a faster and warmer
fermentation. more body and flavor for final sake styles:
1, futsu-sake (n R to boost the flavor when jozo alcohol is added.
2, premium sake: intense flavor , full body, higher acidity and higher umami.
15. Tsuki-haze: •4¾ The koji mould grows in a lightly spotted pattern over the rice
grain, have some well-developed feeding tubes are grown into the center of the rice
grain.
To created the tsuki-haze need :
1, the level of moisture in the grain is controlled.
2, the amount of the koji mould spores uesd is restricted.
3, the koji room is warmer and less humid.
16. Types of koji ¹ used in Japan: (1) ki-koji ù or yellow koji - aspergillus oryzae,
produces strong enzymes, used for sake, soy sauce, miso
(2) kuro-koji ѹor black koji - aspergillus awamori, produces high citric acid and
strong enzymes, used for awamori (Okinawa distilled spirits)
2/8
