SAKE blog

 There is an alcoholic beverage called “Doburoku”. It has a porridge-like texture in a white colour. The ingredients are equivalent to those of Sake, namely rice, koji and water. Precisely speaking Doburoku cannot be categorised under a genre of Sake, but considered as ‘other fermented alcohol’ (その他醸造酒) according to Japanese taxation regulations. This article analyses the differences in characters between Sake and Doburoku, and examines how Doburoku tastes like.

Simple difference between Doburoku and Sake, filtered or not filtered

 The simplest explanation of how to obtain Sake is : “filtering the fermented composition of rice, koji and water”. Mixture of rice, koji and water become fermented to form moromi which becomes a base for Sake. When moromi is filtered, the filtered liquid is called Sake. Here, if the unfiltered drink is bottled, it is called Doburoku. In other words, Doburoku is an alcoholic drink at the equivalent stage as moromi. Simple difference between Sake and Doburoku is, therefore, whether it passes the process of filtering or not.

 Taxation laws define that Sake is a product acquired by filtering moromi. For this regulation, Doburoku does not fall into Sake, but into the general fermented alcohol.

Doburoku and Nigori Sake

 Among the genres of Sake, there is a type of Sake called Nigori-Sake which is cloudy and white in colour. From its looks, Doburoku and Nigori-Sake are often confused. Nigori-Sake is filtered with a rough filter so the composition of rice, koji and kobo is likely to remain in the liquid even after the filtering process. As mentioned earlier, the presence of filtering process is critical to be categorized under Sake. Both Doburoku and Nigori-Sake are cloudy having a white colour however, they fall into different categories.

Flavours of Doburoku

 The Doburoku has particular muddy texture and there are rich, thick and sweet tastes of rice resulted from non-filtration, which is largely different from the characteristics of Sake. There exist enzymes of moromi and amino acid inside Doburoku, therefore it draws attention as a supplemented drink. The beverage has a rich prominent taste of rice to be accompanied well with grilled fish, mixed steamed rice and Japanese side dishes such as flavored vegetables.

 In Nihombashi, Tokyo, Heiwashuzo from Wakayama opens a Doburoku Kabutocho Brewery in April 2022. Heiwashuzo is well known for its Sake, Kid, and it has won the prize of Brewery of the Year in the Sake department of International Wine Challenge. Popularity of Doburoku is on the rise in Japan. If you have a chance to find Doburoku overseas, take the opportunity to taste and compare the differences from other types of Sake!

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Author: Yutaro Kobayashi

President & CEO, Kobayashi Junzo Shoten Co., Ltd.

Based in Osaka, I lead Kobayashi Junzo Shoten, a sake wholesaler founded in 1890. Through the cultural richness of Japanese sake, my mission is to connect people and bring smiles to dining tables around the world.

While technology continues to make the world feel smaller, the stories and traditions behind sake brewing can easily fade into the background. I see my role as a bridge—sharing the passion of brewers, opening doors for new audiences, and delivering sake in a way that feels more approachable and relatable.

I enjoy visiting sake breweries, learning about new rice varieties and brewing techniques, and spending time with toji (master brewers) and kurabito (brewery workers) to experience the spirit of sake-making firsthand. On this blog, I’ll share those encounters, my personal insights, and tips to help you enjoy sake even more.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with you.