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The most historic creation in the PRIVATE LAB series, this sake is regarded as the originator of the modern-style kijōshu that dominates the market today.
Developed in 1973 by a National Tax Agency engineer, kijōshu is based on Japan’s oldest
known sake brewing method. While sake is usually brewed with rice, rice kōji, and water, kijōshu replaces part of the water with sake itself.
As the added sake undergoes fermentation once again within the moromi, the resulting brew becomes richer and more intensely sweet. Inspired by this process of rebirth, this sake was named Hinotori — the Phoenix.
The sake added during brewing is first aged for a year in mizunara oak barrels, imparting a delicate vanilla-like aroma that enhances the natural sweetness. Beginning with this season, it is also brewed in kioke (wooden tanks), solidifying its status as a truly one-of-a-kind kijōshu.
The aroma is a rich accord of honeycore apple, ripe apricot and vanilla bean interlaced with the balsamic, piney notes of juniper berry and cedar, all enveloped in a spicy sweetness reminiscent of wild honey.
On the palate, it opens with a rich, rounded sweetness, tempered by mellow umami that swells and gains depth and complexity. The acidity is juicy and well-pitched, adding levity and definition, while a subtle hint of warm, spice-like bitterness lends a gentle dryness that lingers through the smooth, refined finish.
