Type
Moriki Shuzo · Mie
Moriki Shuzo Hanabusa Junmai Ginjo Yamahai Muroka Nama Genshu
$56.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Yamadanishiki (estate grown organic)
Prefecture
Mie
Flavor profileEach scale is our tasting-room read on where this bottle sits between two extremes — dry to sweet, light to full-bodied, soft to acidic, and subtle to aromatic. These are subjective, however, and will shift with food, serveware & temp.
DrySweetBone dry: crisp and clean, almost no perceptible sweetness. Everyone will read "5" as dry.
LightFullMedium: a bit of richness or creaminess, heft, more flavor intensity, more presence, sometimes higher alcohol or sweetness. A lot of namazake sits here.
SoftAcidicAbove-average acidity, an important part of this sake's character, but nowhere near sour/tart. Lift, refreshing. When paired with higher sweetness, it creates a juicy, ripe impression.
SubtleAromaticSubtle aroma: if you stick your nose in, you'll get a few quiet notes of fruit, grains, nuts & rice. Aroma isn't a big part of this sake's character. An aromatically quiet sake can still have a powerful flavor, though.
Baked plum tart, pleasantly sharp and rich alcohol, layers of fruity dark chocolate, just a little funky-- the tiniest bit. Leans dry, but not sharp/bone dry. This is a junmai daiginjo for the haters, like me. Transcendentally elegant but powerful, with lean muscles, the lightest notes of fruit, all texture. -Nina
The other side of Moriki Shuzo, Hanabusa (and Rie Style, available in Japan only), is drastically different from the brewery's famous export brew, Tae no Hana Challenge 90. Hanabusa is less assertive and wild than Tae no Hana, but it shares the brewery's philosophy of using local organic rice, ambient organisms, and pursuing a beautiful, complex style representative of place.
I always bring sake home with me when I visit Japan, and there are a few brands I seek out in particular. Hanabusa is one of these. It expresses the rare, "elegant" side of ambient fermentations in sake: subtlety, softness, and verve, the volume of each element moderate and in beautiful harmony. Acidity isn't off the charts here, but it is crisp, clear and in focus. This is a transparent, sincere brew; the mouthfeel is round and soft, finishing with a finely etched texture, like the softest tannins in old Nebbiolo.
The pride of Mie and women in sake everywhere!
Your case:
$30 flat-rate case shipping (up to 12 bottles) — the more you add, the less per bottle. Per federal requirements, an adult (21+) with photo ID must be present to receive the delivery.
Sake Club members: $20 shipping (up to 12 bottles) with your club bottles About the clubs
Specifications
Region: Kansai
Class: Junmai Daiginjo Yamahai Muroka Nama Genshu
Style: Namazake
Rice: Yamadanishiki (estate grown organic)
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 50%
ABV: 17.8%
SMV: +7
Acidity: 2
Yeast: #6
Size: 720ml
Shipping
Available nationwide to states and counties that permit alcohol. No sales tax (Oregon). Flat-rate case shipping; in-store pickup available.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
