Hakutsuru Sayuri Nigori Sake (300 ml)

Founded in 1743 by Jihei Kano in East Nada Ward, Kobe, Hakutsuru built its reputation on miyamizu — the mineral-rich hard spring water drawn from the Rokko Mountain aquifer, high in potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, that drives vigorous yeast fermentation and the Nada house style of dry, structured otoko-zake. Sayuri is a deliberate departure from that house character: a nigori filtered through a coarse mesh rather than pressed clean, retaining suspended rice solids that shift the texture toward creamy opacity.

The brewery sits at the base of Mt. Rokko, where the seasonal cold wind Rokko oroshi descends toward the Seto Inland Sea, providing natural cooling during winter fermentation. Moromi (main mash) ferments over approximately 20–25 days using Hakutsuru's proprietary in-house yeast strains, developed through its own research program. Koji cultivation is managed in a humidity- and temperature-controlled koji-muro with a specialised spore-reproduction machine for uniformity. Bottled at 12.5% ABV — notably lower than most premium sake — making Sayuri the most approachable entry point in the range.

The special feature: within a brewery whose entire identity is built on crisp dryness and mineral austerity, Sayuri is the one expression that leans into sweetness and texture, retaining rice sediment that no standard Hakutsuru line carries. Drink young; shake gently before pouring to reintegrate the settled lees.