Hakutsuru Sake Brewing will release "Tokusen Hakutsuru Tokubetsu Junmai Namachozoshu Yamadanishiki 720ml" nationwide starting Friday, September 11, 2026.
A Floral Aroma from an In-House Yeast
This junmai namachozoshu is brewed with a newly developed in-house yeast that produces a floral aroma reminiscent of freshly pressed sake. It balances the freshness distinctive of namachozoshu with the rich, rice-derived umami of junmai sake. The rice used is 100% Hyogo-grown Yamadanishiki, prized as the "king of sake rice" and noted for its particularly high quality.
According to Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' fiscal 2025 rice inspection results, Yamadanishiki grown in Hyogo Prefecture had a top-grade ratio (the share graded Special-Superior or Special, the two highest of the six inspection grades) of about 63%, compared with a national average of about 41%.
Label Design
The label draws on "Rokko-oroshi," the wind that blows down from the Rokko mountain range across the Hanshin area of Hyogo Prefecture, using a flowing wind motif to evoke the sake's expansive floral aroma.
How to Enjoy It
Chilling the sake to around 5–10°C and serving it in a wine glass is recommended to bring out its fresh aroma. Warming it to around 40°C (nurukan) brings out the fuller umami of the Yamadanishiki rice alongside its refreshing aroma.
Product Information
Product: Tokusen Hakutsuru Tokubetsu Junmai Namachozoshu Yamadanishiki 720ml
Category: Sake
Special designation: Tokubetsu Junmai-shu (Special Junmai Sake)
Suggested retail price: ¥1,180 (excluding tax)
Ingredients: Rice (domestic), rice koji (domestic rice)
Rice used: 100% Hyogo-grown Yamadanishiki
Rice polishing ratio: 70%
Alcohol content: 13% or more, less than 14%
Sake meter value (Nihonshu-do): -2
Acidity: 2.0
Amino acid content: 1.2
Flavor profile: A tokubetsu junmai sake defined by the rich umami of Yamadanishiki, the "king of sake rice," and a floral aroma from the original in-house yeast. It is finished with a fresh aroma reminiscent of freshly pressed sake alongside the harmonious rice-derived umami distinctive of junmai sake.
Release date: Friday, September 11, 2026
