Junmai

“Junmai” literally means “pure rice” in Japanese. It’s an important term in the sake world. This word (spelt 純米, watch out for the bottles!) refers to sake with no added alcohol, in other words, sake that contains only the bare essentials: yeast, koji, rice and water.

But be careful! Unlike the terms ‘ginjo’ or ‘daiginjo’, which refer to sakés with a fruity or floral profile, ‘junmai’ says nothing about the taste of a cuvée. At least in theory. In reality, sakés that are only ‘junmai’ often taste deeply umami, with woody and cereal notes…

But be careful again! These sakes are often considered more ‘noble’ than sakes with added alcohol, known as ‘honjozo’. In our humble opinion, this is a shame. Adding alcohol (usually 95% distilled from sugar cane, which is completely neutral) to a sake allows its flavours to unfold. Junmai or honjozo, a sake can be excellent!