WAKABOTAN HIHOU

WAKABOTAN HIHOU-R 720 mL

WAKABOTAN has reduced off-flavors; it is produced from well-polished rice and finished with a fruity flavor.
"R" refers to the source of water, "Rain," which offers an image of pure and clear sake quality.

Alcohol content: 17%

Volume: 720ml

Quality of sake

You can enjoy the good taste of clear well-polished rice.

Technology

The well-polished rice is prepared by starting from processing the raw material in a state with low water content due to polishing for hours.
Since it absorbs water quickly and is likely to crack during washing, water absorption control is important.
Sake brewers wash rice with their hands to prevent cracks and carefully monitor the state of water absorption at the time of preparation.
In the koji making stage, in order to thoroughly control the temperature and humidity, a small wooden tray (koji-buta) is used to manufacture tsuki-haze koji (koji-kin that grows in a patchy manner yet deep into a grain of rice) and brew sake with slight off-flavors.
During the fermentation control of the yeast starter and moromi (fermented rice mash), thorough low temperature control will result in aromatic sake.
With the inherited techniques that have been cultivated so far, we can generously commit to produce this sake.

Lot

This lot was awarded the 113th Annual Japan Sake Award in Brewing Year 2024 [Gold Prize]

■Characteristics/special properties of this lot
[Raw ingredients/Processing of raw ingredients]
　Rice ... YAMADANISHIKI grown in Hyogo Prefecture was polished to 35%.
　　　 In an environment where the temperatures of both the rice and brewing water were naturally dropped, rice was washed slowly and gently by hand under conditions with very little temperature difference in order to prevent the cracking of rice during washing.
　　　 The soaking time was adjusted in 10-second increments based on the appearance and forecast based on past data.
　Koji ... The rice was divided by weight into three parts: “(1) Moto [starter culture] and Soe [addition],” "(2) Naka [second addition]," and "(3) Tome [final addition]"; koji was produced using koji buta (a small wooden tray).
　　　 The preparation period is early January, in the middle of a very cold winter.

[Blend]
　We pursued the depth of the taste by slowly aging sake at 0℃ or lower and blending various raw types of sake.
　We blended the raw sake of “Kyokai No. 1801 Yeast” as a base (97.1%) with the raw sake of each year meticulously at 0.45-0.98% and achieved the blend giving a flavor and deep taste, particularly with a pleasant aftertaste without bitterness.

■Tasting comment (Jul. 2025)
　A glossy, radiant, and very clear crystal. You can enjoy the gorgeous fruity aroma of apricot, peach, and water melon as well as the scent of herbs and flowers. A single sip spreads refreshing sourness and light sweetness spread in the mouth. With a harmonious and robust taste, you can enjoy an aftertaste of moderate length.
　Because of its sour and sweet taste, it goes very well with dishes using ingredients whose delicate umami is enhanced. It goes particularly well with seafood such as white fish sashimi, crab, shrimp, and scallops. The refreshing taste of seafood and the flavor of sake are amazingly harmonized. It also goes well with the natural sweetness of soy such as yuba (tofu skin) and tofu; the smooth taste spreads in the mouth. With light chicken dishes, particularly a dish of chicken steamed in white wine, the sourness and flavor of the sake overlaps with the dish, and you can enjoy a rich taste. It also goes amazingly well with simple cooking methods that make the most of good ingredients such as grilled fish with salt, simmered fish, and tempura. Using less salt and oil makes the original taste of the ingredients distinctive and increases the flavor of sake.

■Characteristics/special properties of this lot
[Raw ingredients/Processing of raw ingredients]
　Rice... YAMADANISHIKI grown in Hyogo Prefecture was polished to 35%, and 10 kg of each was washed so that the rice would not crack, and then soaked it.
　　　　The soaking time was finely controlled each year in 5-second increments from 8 to 10 minutes and 15 seconds depending on the intended use.
　Raw sake ...
　　　(1) Raw sake of "Kyokai No. 1801 Yeast"
　　　　The flavor is mellow and clear, changing from a young apple to a ripe melon according to the storage period.
　　　(2) Raw sake of "Kumamoto Yeast"
　　　　It releases an elegant aroma like shiratama flour (refined rice flour) and milk when stored at 0℃ or lower, while it releases a nuts and almond flavor when stored at 15℃ to 25℃, which gives a sense of depth and aging.

[Blend]
　We pursued the depth of the taste by slowly aging sake at 0℃ or lower and blending various raw types of sake.
　We blended the raw sake of “Kyokai No. 1801 Yeast” as a base (97.1%) with the raw sake of each year meticulously at 0.45-0.98% and achieved the blend giving a flavor and deep taste, particularly with a pleasant aftertaste without bitterness.

■Tasting comment (Jun. 2025)
　A glossy, radiant, and crystal color. You can enjoy gorgeous flavors such as the fruity aroma of white peach and melon as well as the scent of white flowers. A single sip spreads a strong, sweet, pleasant, and mild sour taste, presenting a rich flavor. It is Japanese sake with a pleasant sweetness and lasting aftertaste and gives an impressive full-body sensation with mild flavor. Enjoy a clear and mellow flavor that is maximized by well-polished rice and raw sake aged in storage.
　It goes well with salty dishes. Enjoy this sake with ingredients having umami (e.g., grilled beef with rock salt). It also goes well with bitter chocolate and sweets using cacao.