Wednesday Flight: Kaze no Mori - Wind of the Woods
WEDNESDAY FLIGHT: KAZE NO MORI - WIND OF THE WOODS 7/8/2026
Kaze no Mori was launched in 1998 out of an aspiration to make freshly pressed namazake (unpasteurized sake), crafted from homegrown Akitsuho rice, available to the local people of Gose, Nara. The name comes from the “Kaze no Mori tōge”, a mountain pass located in Gose city that translates to wind of/through the woods. Set amid the lush foothills of Mt. Katsuragi, gentle winds sweep through the pass year-round. RICE The brand experiments with variables in rice variety and polishing ratio; roughly eighty percent of production uses Nara-grown rice varieties (Akitsuho, Tsuyuhakaze, Nanatsuyu) while the remaining twenty percent is brewed using Yamada Nishiki and Aiyama from Hyōgo Prefecture, and Omachi from Okayama Prefecture. Yucho Shuzo doesn’t use the ginjō-shu and daiginjō-shu class designations; the polishing ratio is indicated solely to organize the various styles. WATER Brewing water has a significant influence on the mouthfeel of a sake as well as its behavior during fermentation. Kaze no Mori is brewed with uniquely hard spring water (250mg/L)-- the hardest of all our sake in Sunflower-- which lends a subtle viscosity. Meanwhile, the high mineral content facilitates a vigorous fermentation which in turn causes the yeast to produce lots of acidity. TECHNOLOGY The brewery utilizes a gravity flow system rather than pumps, so that natural carbonation, flavor, and aroma are retained in the liquid. in addition, their custom bottling line adjusts the level of the spout to the height of the liquid as it fills the bottle, so that the sake flows more gently and preserves its carbonation. Achieving “just from the press” freshness when we open a bottle here in Portland, thousands of miles away from its origin in Nara prefecture, is a technical feat. “This kind of product really is alive. Open it and it’s like a flower. For the consumer to enjoy it at a meal while it’s in the glory of its bloom, we have to make sure that it stays in bud, so to speak, during our production phases at the brewery and during transport.”
1. “WHITE” AKITSUHO 657
720ml ($34)
Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Akitsuho (local variety, local fields) Polishing: 65% Yeast: #701
1998 marks the birth of Kaze no Mori: it all started with Akitsuho rice from the Kaze no Mori mountain pass. This is a sake that embodies its terroir and cultural heritage – the flagship brew of Kaze no Mori. Akitsuho is cultivated exclusively by local contract farmers, and is a cross between Yamabiko and Nipponbare varieties, producing grains larger than those of Nipponbare. Not only is it excellent as a table rice, but its suitability for brewing is also exceptional, producing a range of characteristics and withstanding polishing as low as 22% in the Kaze no Mori ALPHA range. Akitsuho 657 is a long-running bestseller in the Kaze no Mori range. With aromas reminiscent of melon and pear, and a palate where sweetness and complexity coexist, this brew is quintessential Kaze no Mori.
2. “GREEN” AKITSUHO 507
720ml ($42)
Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Akitsuho (local variety, local fields) Polishing: 50% Yeast: #701
Made entirely from locally contracted Akitsuho rice polished to 50%. On the palate, it offers a fresh pear-like aroma and a clean, refined flavour – a sharply defined, dry expression of Kaze no Mori. This sake was featured in our Spring seasonal club, and debuted in the US for the first time this year.
3. “BLACK” TSUYUHAKAZE 807
720ml ($36)
Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Tsuyuhakaze (local variety, local fields) Polishing: 80% Yeast: #701
Brewed with Tsuyuhakaze, which was developed in 1963 at the Aichi Agricultural Research Center by crossing the rice varieties Shiratsuyu and Wasefutaba. Although it was planted more widely in the past, Tsuyuhakaze is now exclusively grown in Nara. Sake brewed from Tsuyuhakaze is distinguished by a richly textured palate full of complexity; Its characteristic acidity and moderate astringency separate Tsuyuhakaze from the rest of the series. Within the Kaze no Mori range, this brew expresses the greatest depth of complexity. Rich tones of acidity, astringency, and bitterness are balanced by a gentle sweetness.
4. “BROWN” OMACHI 807
720ml ($39)
Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Omachi (Okayama) Polishing: 80% Yeast: #701
The brew richest in sweetness among the Kaze no Mori range. Aroma reminiscent of green banana and ripe melon, with a layered complexity exclusive to a polishing ratio of 80%. A full-bodied Kaze no Mori where sweetness and acidity are in perfect harmony.
BONUS $6
5. “PINK” TSUYUHAKAZE 507
720ml ($42)
Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Rice: Tsuyuhakaze (local variety, local fields) Polishing: 50% Yeast: #701
Crafted with Tsuyuhakaze, a sake-brewing rice grown exclusively in Nara. This brew evokes the aroma of firm strawberries, its fresh, vibrant sweetness wrapped in a crisp acidity distinctive to Tsuyuhakaze. This sake debuted in the US last Fall, replacing the now-discontinued ALPHA 3 series Akitsuho 507, the only pasteurized sake in Kaze no Mori’s brand lineup. By discontinuing ALPHA 3, Kaze no Mori became 100% nama.
