SAKE WSET LEVEL 1 EVALUATION EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What are some Futsu-shu characteristics? - ✔✔Most are clear and colorless, but
some are pale yellow or green.
15-17% ABV
Slightly sweet and lightly acidic with delicate lactic and fruity flavors
✔✔What are the two main styles of premium sakes? - ✔✔1.) Pure floral and fruity
aromas (ginjo)
2.) Cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔What does Junmai mean and what does it indicate? - ✔✔Pure rice. This indicates
that high-strength distilled alcohol was not added before filtration
✔✔What is the four-stage process to becoming steamed white rice? - ✔✔Polishing,
washing, soaking, and steaming
✔✔What happens during polishing to create white rice? - ✔✔The grains are passed
between two rough surfaces which, over the course of a few hours, slowly remove the
outer and some of the middle layers of the grains
✔✔If a brewer only polishes away some of the middle layers, what will the resulting
sake have? - ✔✔More acidity and umami, with cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔If a brewer decides to leave just the core (pure starch), what will the resulting sake
have? - ✔✔Less acidity and umami, with fruity and floral aromas
✔✔If the law requires a polishing ration of 60% then how much of the original grain
must remain after polishing? - ✔✔Only 60% or less of the original grain remains after
polishing
✔✔What is the polishing ratio for daiginjo or junmai daiginjo sake? - ✔✔50%
✔✔What does washing the rice grain do? - ✔✔Removes the dust residue from the rice,
which resulted from the polishing process
✔✔Why is soaking and then steaming necessary? - ✔✔To soften the grain and ensure
that it has the correct texture and level of moisture so that it can break up into the water
during fermentation
, ✔✔What are the four stages in making Koji? - ✔✔1.) Cooling the steamed rice
2.) Spreading the mold over the steamed rice
3.) Initial mold growth
4.) Controlling and stopping the mold growth
✔✔How is the steamed rice cooled? - ✔✔It is spread out on mats to cool naturally. Rice
taken out of the steamer is too hot to make Koji
✔✔Which room is the mold spread in? - ✔✔The warmest and most humid part of the
Koji room
✔✔How is the mold evenly grown? - ✔✔The rice is regularly turned by hand
✔✔What does the brewer aim for in the mold growth? - ✔✔A slow mold growth so that
exactly the right amount of mold can be grown
✔✔How is the growth of the mold stopped? - ✔✔The rice is moved to the coolest part of
the Koji room
✔✔What contributes to a significant amount of flavor in many styles of Sake? - ✔✔The
yeast
✔✔Lower fermentation temperatures must be used in order to create which style of
Sake? - ✔✔The fruity and floral aromas of ginjo styles
✔✔What do warmer fermentation temperatures produce? - ✔✔Cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔What is the polishing ratio and aromas associated with Junmai Ginjo Sakes? -
✔✔60% or less. Fruity and floral aromas with less acid and umami
✔✔What are some characteristics of Honjozo Sakes? - ✔✔Polishing ratio of 70% or
less
Cereal and lactic aromas with more acid and umami
Lightly polished
Warm fermentation temperatures
High-strength distilled alcohol added
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What are some Futsu-shu characteristics? - ✔✔Most are clear and colorless, but
some are pale yellow or green.
15-17% ABV
Slightly sweet and lightly acidic with delicate lactic and fruity flavors
✔✔What are the two main styles of premium sakes? - ✔✔1.) Pure floral and fruity
aromas (ginjo)
2.) Cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔What does Junmai mean and what does it indicate? - ✔✔Pure rice. This indicates
that high-strength distilled alcohol was not added before filtration
✔✔What is the four-stage process to becoming steamed white rice? - ✔✔Polishing,
washing, soaking, and steaming
✔✔What happens during polishing to create white rice? - ✔✔The grains are passed
between two rough surfaces which, over the course of a few hours, slowly remove the
outer and some of the middle layers of the grains
✔✔If a brewer only polishes away some of the middle layers, what will the resulting
sake have? - ✔✔More acidity and umami, with cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔If a brewer decides to leave just the core (pure starch), what will the resulting sake
have? - ✔✔Less acidity and umami, with fruity and floral aromas
✔✔If the law requires a polishing ration of 60% then how much of the original grain
must remain after polishing? - ✔✔Only 60% or less of the original grain remains after
polishing
✔✔What is the polishing ratio for daiginjo or junmai daiginjo sake? - ✔✔50%
✔✔What does washing the rice grain do? - ✔✔Removes the dust residue from the rice,
which resulted from the polishing process
✔✔Why is soaking and then steaming necessary? - ✔✔To soften the grain and ensure
that it has the correct texture and level of moisture so that it can break up into the water
during fermentation
, ✔✔What are the four stages in making Koji? - ✔✔1.) Cooling the steamed rice
2.) Spreading the mold over the steamed rice
3.) Initial mold growth
4.) Controlling and stopping the mold growth
✔✔How is the steamed rice cooled? - ✔✔It is spread out on mats to cool naturally. Rice
taken out of the steamer is too hot to make Koji
✔✔Which room is the mold spread in? - ✔✔The warmest and most humid part of the
Koji room
✔✔How is the mold evenly grown? - ✔✔The rice is regularly turned by hand
✔✔What does the brewer aim for in the mold growth? - ✔✔A slow mold growth so that
exactly the right amount of mold can be grown
✔✔How is the growth of the mold stopped? - ✔✔The rice is moved to the coolest part of
the Koji room
✔✔What contributes to a significant amount of flavor in many styles of Sake? - ✔✔The
yeast
✔✔Lower fermentation temperatures must be used in order to create which style of
Sake? - ✔✔The fruity and floral aromas of ginjo styles
✔✔What do warmer fermentation temperatures produce? - ✔✔Cereal and lactic aromas
✔✔What is the polishing ratio and aromas associated with Junmai Ginjo Sakes? -
✔✔60% or less. Fruity and floral aromas with less acid and umami
✔✔What are some characteristics of Honjozo Sakes? - ✔✔Polishing ratio of 70% or
less
Cereal and lactic aromas with more acid and umami
Lightly polished
Warm fermentation temperatures
High-strength distilled alcohol added
