吟醸

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 吟醸 (ぎんじょう) combines careful refinement 吟 and brewing 醸 as a term for a low-temperature brewing style.
• Basic usage: It denotes premium rice wine made by that method or the method itself in 吟醸造り.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A brewing category, not generic praise
  • 吟醸 does not merely mean “excellent”; it identifies a brewing method and the sake associated with it.