Michizakura Junmai "R Class"

True Sake Review Coming Soon! 

From the importer De Maison:

Michizakura, originally founded in Gifu prefecture in 1877, relocated to its current location in Hokkaidō in 2020. After returning from Taiwan in 1995, Koji Yamada, the 7th generation, assumed the double role of owner and master brewer in the winter of 2004. He chose to relocate to this cooler climate—in cooperation with the Higashikawa municipality—rather than modernize the aging original operation at great cost.

The benefit to Toji Koji, above all, was access to a superb water source of Mount Taisetsu snowmelt, and the quality of the local Hokkaidō-grown rice. The continuously family-owned Michizakura is one of just 16 active breweries in the prefecture, despite it being easily Japan’s most expansive, featuring untouched wilderness and dreamlike scenery across the seasons.

At the brewery, Yamada-san emphasizes that the quality established during koji production determines the potential of every subsequent stage, and ultimately, the character of the finished sake. Fermentation follows the traditional three-stage addition (Sandan Shikomi), which gradually increases the volume of the mash, maintaining balance while minimizing microbiological precarity. Meanwhile, every process, from pressing to bottling, is designed to nearly eliminate oxidation risk, and preserve the freshness, purity, and longevity of the sake.

Yamada-san’s philosophy motivates him to eschew what could be considered excessive, leaving Michizakura’s bottlings luminous, clean, and textural.

Brilliant and pristine in the glass, ‘R Class’ leads with a clean nose of freshly steamed rice. The palate unfolds with a soft, supple texture filled with subtle notes of white fruit, resolving effortlessly into a crisp, wonderfully fresh finish.

• ABV: 15%
• Koji Mai: Suisei (Higashikawa grown)
• Seimai Buai: 60% (55%)
• Kake Mai: Nanatsuboshi (Higashikawa grown table rice)
• Seimai Buai: 65%
• Yeast: 1401