Private Lab Hinotori Direct Pump
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed fresh within 1 to 2 years of the bottling date to experience its natural effervescence and bright fruit profile.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, foie gras, fruit-based desserts
✨ Technical Specifications
Part of Aramasa's experimental 'Private Lab' series, 'Hinotori' (meaning Phoenix) is a modern reincarnation of Kijushu, an ancient sake style dating back to the Heian period. In this luxurious brewing method, finished sake is used instead of water during the final mashing stage, yielding a rich, sweet, and deeply complex profile. The 'Direct Pump' (Jikagumi) version is bottled immediately from the press, capturing the natural micro-effervescence of fermentation. Brewed using the historic Kyokai No. 6 yeast in traditional wooden casks (kioke) via the Kimoto method, this sake beautifully balances vibrant acidity with luscious sweetness.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1852 in Akita Prefecture, Japan, Aramasa Shuzo is one of the sake world's most revolutionary and revered historic breweries. Under the avant-garde leadership of eighth-generation owner Yusuke Sato, the kura strictly champions traditional, natural brewing methodologies, utilizing only native Akita rice cultivars, wooden fermentation vats (kioke), and the time-honored kimoto method without additives. Aramasa is famously the historic birthplace of Kyokai Yeast No. 6, isolated here in 1930, which the brewery now uses exclusively across its entire production. Renowned for vibrant acidity, exceptional clarity, and wine-like complexity, Aramasa produces iconic cult expressions including the unpasteurized No. 6 series, the terroir-focused Colors collection, and the rare, boundary-pushing Private Lab series featuring labels like Invisible Pink Unicorn.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Akita Sake Komachi
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13%