Tsukinowa Sake Brewery (Shuzo) 月の輪酒造店

Tsukinowa 月の輪 is a jizake brewery in Shiwa, Iwate.  This area was part of the old Nanbu region.  And the brewery sticks to its roots by brewing in the Nanbu style.  The sake Tsukinowa produces is often grainy but soft.  A fine balance between umami and fruity/floral notes is typically present across their range of sake. 

Tsukinowa Shuzo has a few quirks that make it special and help create its style.  First, it is one of the few breweries that often uses mochi rice もち米 for their seishu.  They also prefer to draw out their koji propagation for an extended time: 2+ weeks instead of the normal 2 days.  Their struggle leads to greater character and quality.  This also might be a part response to the low amylase levels in glutinous mochi rice.  Tsukinowa also takes the rare step of distilling some kasutori and shochu which is bottled on its own and used to fortify their aru-ten sake.  Very cool!  Lastly, Tsukinowa is also one of the few sake breweries with a female toji– Hiroko Yokosawa.

The Tsukinowa Brewery

Location: Shiwa, Iwate  EST: 1886

Tsukinowa brewery sits in the fertile upper Kitakami River 北上川 Valley, in mountainous inland Tōhoku.  Many rice paddies are located a short walk from the facilities.  The climate is continental, with cold winters and moderate snow, and warm, mild summers.

Official Site   Excellent info from the US Importer Sake Story

Sake from Tsukinowa 月の輪

Kinen Honjozo

Yoi no Tsuki Daiginjo

Label / Kanji  

Tsukinowa Shuzo 月の輪酒造店    

Tsukinowa 月の輪   Yoi no Tsuki 宵の月

Iwate 岩手  Kitakami 北上  Tōhoku 東北地方

Nanbu Toji 南部杜氏  Nanbu 南部

mochi rice もち米