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Alcoholic drinks from Japan

Koshu (aged sake)古酒

Koshu is sake that is stored for at least three years instead of the usual six months to a year. Slow reactions between its sugars and amino acids turn it yellow to amber and give it caramel, honey, dried-fruit and soy-sauce notes. In one study, commercial aged sakes had been stored either cool, controlled at 15 °C or below, or at ambient temperature.

Fully documentedAlcoholic drinks3.1 years – 53 yearsFamily: Sake (base flow: junmai, sokujo starter)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo fixed recipe. Koshu is ordinary sake given a long storage, so the brewing recipe is that of the sake being aged.
Rice, rice koji and waterThe raw materials of the base sake, brewed and pressed as usual before ageing[jss-nrib2011]
Finished sakeAny type of sake can be aged; it is brewed and pressed as usual first[jss-nrib2011]
Starternone for the ageing (the base sake uses koji and sake yeast)

Total time across the recorded steps: 3.1 years – 53 years

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countAspergillus oryzaeSaccharomyces cerevisiae8–18 °CSugarAlcoholCO₂

What changes: Koji and yeast turn the rice mash into new sake, which is pressed off

Step 1 of 4
Brew and press the base sake
Time
21–28 days
Reported
Temperature
8–18 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Aspergillus oryzae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Brewing follows the parent entry; this step is shown for context. Output: new sake.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Koshu is sake that is stored for at least three years instead of the usual six months to a year. Slow reactions between its sugars and amino acids turn it yellow to amber and give it caramel, honey, dried-fruit and soy-sauce notes. In one study, commercial aged sakes had been stored either cool, controlled at 15 °C or below, or at ambient temperature. Made in 4 steps over 3.1 years – 53 years. The longest step, age for at least three years, takes 3–53 years (Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and…) and runs at up to 15 °C (Boerzhijin S 2023). Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in brewing the base sake only does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step3–53 yearsReported[jss-nrib2011][boerzhijin2023]Age for at least three years
Temperatureup to 15 °CReported[boerzhijin2023]Age for at least three years

What makes this one different

Ordinary sake is stored about six months to a year before it is sold. Koshu is stored at least three years, long enough for the Maillard reaction to change its colour and flavour.

Minimum age
The NRIB guide says koshu is aged at least three years; SAKETIMES notes the term has no fixed legal definition
Colour
Yellow to amber; gold to dark amber in long-aged sake

Related ferments

Variants

  • Low-temperature aged koshuIn the 2023 study, sakes kept at 15 °C or below held isoamyl acetate and ethyl caproate, the esters that give freshness, above their odour thresholds for 3–30 years.
  • Ambient-temperature aged koshuIn the 2023 study, sotolon, dimethyl trisulfide and 3-methylbutanal rose greatly in sakes stored at ambient temperature and peaked after 11–20 years.
  • TaruzakeSake stored for a time in Japanese cedar casks; it has its own entry.

Safety

Pasteurised sake keeps for years. The NRIB guide notes that high temperature and long exposure to light discolour sake and raise unwanted aromas and bitterness, so ageing is controlled.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

A 2026 study of long-term aged sake grouped it with Chinese huangjiu, apart from sherry, Madeira and port, by its sulfury aroma and bitter taste.

  1. [jss-nrib2011] Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and National Research Institute of Brewing 2011, A Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Sake, 1st ed.gov
  2. [boerzhijin2023] Boerzhijin S., Isogai A., Mukai N. 2023, Impact of storage conditions on the volatile aroma compounds of aged sake, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 121, 105351 (abstract)paper
  3. [hori2026] Hori R., Osafune Y., Ikeda Y., Mukai N., Isogai A. 2026, Comparison of long-term aged Japanese sake and typical aged liquors in the world, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 141(4):281–289 (abstract)paper
  4. [saketimes2021] SAKETIMES 2021, SAKE 101 Shinshu (koshu has no fixed legal definition), 6 December 2021web
  5. [wp-sake] Wikipedia, Sake (outline only)wiki