Type
Doi Shuzo · Shizuoka
Takatenjin Tokubetsu Honjozo "Sword of the Sun"
$30.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Yamada Nishiki (for the koji) & Haenuki (for the main mash)
Prefecture
Shizuoka
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.
DrySweetBalanced dry: reads as dry, with a little bit of softness, or maybe a fruit/brown sugar note that tempers the impression of dryness. Most people will read "2" as dry.
LightFullVery light: delicate and water-clean on the palate, light in flavor and overall presence.
SoftAcidicVery soft: gentle and mellow, almost no perceptible acidity. A "1" sake isn't flat or boring, but is balanced around overall subtlety and softness, using other characteristics to give it structure.
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.
Takatenjin's Tokubetsu Honjozo has a round, buttery nose, with notes of sweet almond and marzipan. The palate is similar: cream, butter, and marzipan, but also this lovely fruit... wafty, distant notes of white peach, canteloupe, white grapefruit, asian pear, and banana. Then something interesting too, a bit of cucumber and mint. Light, delightful, unbelievably smooth and clean.
Double pasteurized, brewed from 60% polished rice, using Yamadanishiki from Hyogo for the koji and Yamagata Haenuki for the kakemai. The water is extremely soft and the style is considered to be kirei, “pretty” style. For this product they use a yeast developed at this brewery by the former toji, who was widely considered one of the 5 most influential and prominent toji of his day, training countless acolytes. The yeast, HD-1, is named for the toji (Hase) and the brewery (Doi) and a few decades ago led the way to Shizuoka’s dominance in sake awards for nearly a decade.
Ground shipping is $25 to $40, free at 12 bottles.
Free pickup at our Portland shop. An adult (21+) with photo ID must be present for delivery.
Out of stock. Get an email when it's back
We'll email you once when it's back in stock.
Specifications
Region: Chubu
Type: Tokubetsu Junmai & Tokubetsu Honjozo
Rice: Yamada Nishiki (for the koji) & Haenuki (for the main mash)
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 60%
ABV: 15%
Starter: Sokujo
SMV: 4.0
Acidity: 1.3
Yeast: HD-1
Size: 720ml
Poured at our Wednesday Flight
- Wednesday Lessons #51: Sake & Sumo, May 7, 2025
Shipping
Ships to most states, not Alaska, Hawaii or Utah. No sales tax (Oregon). Free Ground shipping at 12 bottles. Pickup at our Portland shop is free.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
