Origin Sake

Having gained a better understanding of the chemical process through the yamahai method, it didn't take long for researchers to realise that by simply adding the lactic acid at the beginning of a new yeast starter, they no longer had to wait for the natural bacteria to produce it for them. This method was given the name sokujo (速醸), which is again very simple in its meaning in Japanese: Soku means fast, and Jo means brew, which is appropriate as it cut the time of preparing a moto down from around 4 weeks with the yamahai and kimoto methods, to just 2 weeks. 

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More importantly though is the difference in taste that often results from this faster more modern method. As we already know, the flavours often found in yamahai and kimoto are produced as a result of being exposed to outside bacteria and yeasts before lactic acid has the chance to appear naturally. Sokujo has lactic acid in the tank right from the beginning, meaning no such time period exists. Therefore, this method more often than not produces sake with much lighter or cleaner tasting profiles.