Sake fans these days are quite often inundated with information (much of it extraneous) about how a sake was made. The rice, yeast strain, water quality, nihonshu-do (specific gravity) and acidity are commonly found listed on the labels of most decent bottles of sake.

One can indeed determine a bit about the style of sake from this information. Still, the difference between sake brewed with one rice or one yeast strain and another is often quite subtle. In the end, the numbers should be considered not much more than a diversion, or interesting facts to note.

One thing that is never listed on the bottle is the type of koji mold used in brewing. This is curious, as making koji from this mold is the heart of the sake-brewing process.