When sake breweries label the styles of their products, they use terms that can compound together to describe the production method in greater detail. The term Junmai is comprised of two kanji meaning “pure rice.” Junmai sakes may only use the four principle sake ingredients of rice, water, yeast and koji. Kimoto refers to a very special and historic method of preparing the fermentation starter. In Kimoto method brewing, the fermentation starter is mashed with wooden poles for weeks as a technique for generating a protective amount of lactic acid that shields the brew from harmful bacteria. It is very labor intensive and risky, but it yields expressive sakes that can even hold up to aging under the right conditions. Therefore, this sake uses no outside ingredients, and is produced in the Kimoto method.
