Hakutsuru, Excellent Junmai, 1800ml
A dependable pure-rice junmai from Nada, Kobe: 15%, dry at +4, and as good warmed as it is chilled. The 1.8 litre isshōbin.
Not every sake needs to be a delicate daiginjo sipped cold, and a kitchen or bar needs a reliable everyday junmai as much as a special bottle. Hakutsuru Excellent Junmai is made from rice, water and koji only, polished to 70%, with toasted-cereal depth, a natural rice sweetness and a clean, dry finish. It is equally happy chilled in summer or warmed in winter. The 1.8 litre bottle is the value size for a busy list; the same sake also comes in a 720ml bottle.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Pure-rice junmai: rice, water and koji only, with no added distilled alcohol, for a fuller, savoury style.
- Robust and food-friendly: toasted cereal, rice sweetness and a dry finish that stand up to strongly flavoured food.
- Hot or cold: a style that works from the fridge or warmed to kan, so one bottle covers both.
- Value format: the 1.8 litre isshōbin for a busy bar, restaurant or regular drinker.
How to Serve
- Chilled: around 5 to 15°C for a clean, fresher pour.
- Warmed (kan): around 40°C, in a hot water bath, to bring out its rounded rice character.
- With food: grilled meat, miso-marinated fish, sea urchin, stir-fried greens and richer dishes.
- House pour: robust enough to drink through a whole meal rather than as a single aperitif.
Junmai (純米, "pure rice") sake is made with only rice, water and koji, with no distilled alcohol added, which tends to give a fuller, more savoury, rice-driven character than lighter, perfumed styles. Where a fragrant ginjo wants to be sipped cool, a sturdy junmai is the everyday sake of the Japanese table, served chilled in warm weather or warmed in the cold, and able to sit alongside strongly flavoured food. Hakutsuru (白鶴) has brewed in Nada, Kobe, since 1743. Nada's hard miyamizu water, rice from the surrounding Hyōgo countryside and the cold winds off Mount Rokkō made it Japan's largest sake district, and this bottle is the brewery's dependable, well-priced junmai.
Learn more: The SushiSushi Guide to Hakutsuru Sake
Can you serve junmai sake warm?
Yes, and a robust junmai like this is exactly the style that rewards it. Warming sake (kan) to around 40°C softens the texture and brings out its rounded, savoury, rice-forward character, which is why a hearty junmai is the traditional choice for warm service while a delicate ginjo is usually kept cold. The same bottle drinks well chilled for a cleaner, fresher pour, so you can serve it cold in summer and warm in winter. Warm it gently in a pan of hot water rather than in a microwave, for an even result.
Product Details
| Grade | Junmai (純米) |
| Brewery | Hakutsuru (白鶴), founded 1743 |
| Rice Polishing | 70% |
| Alcohol | 15% vol |
| Sake Meter Value | +4 (medium dry) |
| Acidity | 1.7 |
| Volume | 1800ml (isshōbin) |
| Serve | Chilled, 5 to 15°C, or warmed to around 40°C |
| Origin | Nada, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan |
What does junmai taste like compared to ginjo?
Junmai tends to be fuller, more savoury and more rice-driven, with less of the fruity aroma of a ginjo or daiginjo. This Excellent Junmai shows toasted cereal, natural rice sweetness and a dry finish. Where a ginjo leans fragrant and delicate, a junmai leans robust and food-friendly, which is why it is the classic everyday and warm-service style.
What food goes with this sake?
Its savoury depth and dry finish suit richly flavoured dishes: grilled and braised meat, miso-marinated fish, sea urchin, stir-fried greens and salty, umami-heavy food generally. Warmed, it is especially good with hot winter dishes such as nabe; chilled, it cuts through richer plates. It is a sake to drink with a meal rather than on its own.
How should I store a 1.8L bottle once opened?
Keep it cool, out of direct light and in the fridge once opened, standing upright with the cap firmly on. A robust junmai holds its character for a couple of weeks after opening if kept cold and sealed, though it is freshest soon after. For a single-serve option, try the Hakutsuru Josen one-cup (200ml).
SKU : X0003