Kiki-zake yōgo

【English】
Sake tasting terms

Terms for describing sake characteristics. Relating to colour, taste and aroma, there are more than one hundred in total.

 

Tasting terms regarding colour and appearance.

sae (サエ)

clarity, brilliance

 teri (テリ)

brightness, lustre

 tomei-do  (透明度), chomei-do (澄明度)

transparency

 koutaku (光沢)

lustre
boke (ボケ)

lack of clarity,

cloudiness, turbidity

 shiroboke (白ボケ, “white boke”)

cloudiness, turbidity

 kondaku (混濁)

turbidity

 tanpaku kondaku

protein turbidity

 浮遊物 (fuyu-butsu (long second “u”))

suspended matter, impurities
番茶色 (bancha-iro)

bancha tea colour (light brown)

 黒い (kuroi)

black

 淡麗 (tanrei)

light, pale

 水の様 (mizu no yo (long “o”) ),

(transparent and colourlesss) “like water”

 

 

 茶褐色 (cha-kasshoku)

dark brown
黄金色 (ogon iro (long first ”o”))

golden

 

 山吹色 (yamabuki iro, literally “globeflower colour”) golden yellow 色沢(shiki-taku)

濃厚 (shiki-taku noko (long “o”s))

deep of lustre and colour

 色が薄い（淡色）

(iro ga usui, tanshoku)

 

light in colour

 色が濃い（濃色）

(iro ga koi, noshoku (long first “o”))

dark in colour
色がない（無色）

(iro ga nai, mu-shoku)

colourless

 こはく色 (kohaku iro)

amber (colour)

 

Tasting terms related to aroma

(Note: 臭 (shu with a long “u”) means a smell)

新酒 ばな (shinshu bana)

new sake smell

 麹ばな

(koji bana)

koji smell

 吟醸香(ginjo-ka)

ginjo aroma

 バナナの香 (banana no ko (long “o”))

banana aroma

 リンゴの香

ringo no ko (long last “o”

apple aroma
果実臭 (kajitsu shu)

fruit smell

 ｴｯｾﾝｽ臭

essential oil smell

 エステル (ester) 臭

(esuteru shu)

ester smell

 冷こみ香 (hiya-komi-ka)

off-aroma arising from cold (abnormal)

moromi

 熟し香 (jukushi-ka)

maturation smell
ぬか臭

(nuka shu)

nuka (rice bran) smell

 甘酒臭 (ama-zake shu)

ama-zake (koji drink) smell

 味りん臭 (mirin shu)

mirin (sweet sake-like condiment) smell

 甘臭 (ama-shu)

“sweet smell”

 炭素臭 (tanso shu)

carbon smell
ろ過綿臭 (roka men shu) smell of fibre used in

filtration

 ろ過臭 (roka-shu)

off-aromas related to filtration

 紙臭 (kami shu)

paper smell

 木香 (ki-ga)

wood smell

 うつり香 (utsuri ka)

“transmitted smells”
老ね香 (hine ka)

“old smell”

 焦臭 (koge shu)

burnt smell

 アルコール臭 (aruko-ru shu)

alcohol smell

 ﾌｰｾﾞﾙ油臭 (fu-zeru yu shu)

fusel oil smell

 アルデヒド臭

(arudehido shu)

aldehyde smell
つわり香 (tsuwari-ka)

“morning sickness smell”

 ジアセチル臭(jiasechiru shu)

diacetyl smell

 冷香 (rei ka)

off-aroma arising from cold (abnormal)

moromi

 火落香 (hi-ochi ka)

Smell of hi-ochi

 

 かめ臭 (kame shu)

kame (ceramic jar) smell
瓶香 (bin-ka)

bottle smell

 酸敗臭 (sanpai shu)

smell of acid spoilage

 腐造臭(fuzo (long “o”) shu)

smell of spoiled moromi

 酸臭(san shu) sour acid smell 酢酸臭 (saku-san shu)

acetic acid smell
酪酸臭 (ryaku-san shu)

butyric acid smell

 カビ臭 (kabi-shu)

mould smell

 ゴム臭 (gomu-shu)

rubber smell

 硫化水素臭 (ryu (long “u”) ka sui-so shu)

hydrogen sulphide smell

 

 付け香 (tsuke ka)

“attached” (artificially added) aroma
袋香 (fukuro ka)

bag smell

 渋香 (shibu ka)

shibu (persimmon tannin) smell

 油臭 (abura shu)

oil smell

 石油臭 (seki-yu shu)

petrol smell

 粕くさい (kasu-kusai)

kasu-stinking
金属臭 (kinzoku shu)

metal smell

 かなけ (kanake)

metal smell

 樽臭 (taru shu)

cask smell

 コルク臭 (koruku shu)

cork smell

 異臭 (i-shu)

“abnormal smell”

(blanket term)

 

Tasting terms related to taste

こく (koku)

richness of flavour, body

 ごくみ

richness of flavour, body

 濃醇味(no- (long “o”) jun-mi)

depth and richness of flavour

 にく

body, strength of flavour

 濃味 (no- (“o”) mi)

depth (strength) of flavour
おし味 (oshi mi)

crisp, acidity-driven aftertaste

 芳醇な (ho- (long “o”) jun na

adjectival phrase for good flavour

 旨味

umami

 まるみ (marumi)

roundness of flavour

 ふくらみ (fukurami) expansive blossoming of flavour
がら (gara)

“mood”, “style”

 きめ (kime)

grain (as of wood, usually in positive expression kime ga komakai (“fine-lined”, smooth-textured)

 

 のどごし (nodo-goshi)

sensation on the way down the throat (nodo)

 さばけ (sabake) がよい

（sabake ga yoi, “sabake is good”）

crisp and balanced, lacking in cloying/inharmonious elements

 引込み (hiki-komi)

attack, initial impression

 
後味 (ato-aji)

aftertaste

 きれい (kirei)

“clean”

 淡麗な (tanrei na) clean, crisp, light (adjectival) なめらか (nameraka)

smooth

 舌ざわり (shita-zawari)

sensation on the tongue/palate
かるい (karui)

light

 すっきりした (sukkiri shita)

light, crisp

 味の調和した (aji no cho- (long “o”) wa shita

(adjectival: )

harmonious of flavour

 

 なれた (nareta)

settled

 

 若い (wakai)

young
しっかりした (shikkari shita)

solid, firm

 さらっとした (saratto shita)

light, crisp

 さびしい (sabishii)

(literally, “lonely”.) thin, lacking in flavour.

 うすい (usui)

thin

 こい (koi)

“thick”, heavy
あらい (arai)

rough

 熟した (juku shita)

mature, ripe

 おもい(omoi)

heavy (negative)

 老ねた (hineta)

(over-) aged (negative)

 くどい (kudoi)

cloying
だれた (dareta)

over-the-hill, flabby

 ボケた (boketa)

unclear (lacking in crispness of line; literally, “murky”)

 味の離れた (aji no hanareta)

showing lack of harmony of flavour elements

 甘い (amai)

sweet

 辛い (karai)

dry
すっぱい (suppai)

sour

 渋い (shibui)

astringent

 にがい (nigai)

bitter

 

 塩からい (shio-karai)

salty

  雑味
(zatsu-mi)rough/heavy off-flavours
くせ (kuse)

an unpleasant characteristic; a quirk

 糊味 (nori-mi)

pasty taste

 かなけ (kanake)

metallic taste

 腐敗味 (fu-hai mi)

smell of putrefaction