The word Junmai literally translates to Pure Rice (Jun Mai), meaning no additives go into this bottling. Like wine, great sake begins with simple ingredients: rice defines the richness and focus; water provides the enviable silken texture; yeast is responsible for the aromas; and Koji the Japanese term for the transition from starch to sugar, which allows for alcoholic fermentation.
Hirai Junmai utilizes Gohyakumangoku rice which provides roundness and structure and combined with the softness of the water the final product is simply memorable. The second ingredient, yeast, is a strain known as Emperor Sake—a highly awarded variety that leaves aromas of peach blossom, pineapple, and guava in its wake.