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
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
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