Is it beer or wine?
Saké purists will say that saké is saké. It is not wine or beer. It is it’s own unique beverage and deserves it’s own identity. That is certainly true, but in a world that is trying to understand saké, it is not easy to be so definitive and may not be a good idea.
Saké is like beer in that it is a brewed beverage made from a grain (rice), water and yeast. Unlike beer, or spirits, the grain is not malted to convert starch to sugar and no hops are involved. The finished beverage is like grape wine and often carries some similarities in flavor. While purists would also have you sipping sake from traditional ochoko’s (little shot-like cups), saké, like wine, is best experienced from stemware. Any white wine glass will do, however, there are saké specific glasses made by such companies as Riedel.
Bone Dry – Fruit Sweet
Like wine, saké can be bone dry with steely crisp apple and pear notes or sweet and fruity carrying tropical and stone fruit flavors. Aroma can range from faint citrus to deep earthy floral sweet tones.
Saké is not measured by residual sugar but on a scale that measures the density of saké compared to water. This scale is called Saké Meter Value (Nihonshu-do for those who speak Japanese), or SMV, and is found on most labels showing a plus or minus number. The higher the positive number the drier the saké. The lower the negative number the sweeter the saké. While the SMV number provides a glimpse at sweetness it can be misleading due to the flavor impact of acid, water hardness and temperature. A saké can be rated a +6 but taste fruity and somewhat sweet, what you might consider a -2. Use the SMV scale as a guide but be sure you taste the saké to be sure you know if it is dry and crisp or fruity sweet.