Kijoshu (sake brewed with sake in place of water)

Kijoshu is a traditional method of making sake in which sake is used in place of some of the water at the time of brewing. The technique is mainly applied at the final stage of the three-stage mash addition (sandan jikomi), known as tomezoe (the third and last addition), using rice, rice koji, water, and sake as ingredients. Compared with ordinary sake, it contains roughly 1.5 to 2 times as many components, and it is characterized by a very rich, sweet taste. Kijoshu has a deep, full-bodied sweetness and sometimes an amber hue, and it is often enjoyed as a dessert sake. As a result, when paired with food, it also plays a role in bringing out sweetness.