Kawabu Junmai Ginjō Hokosugi

Kawabu's Hokosugi Junmai Ginjō (鉾杉 弓形穂しずく純米吟醸) is made of Yuminariho rice, a new variation of Isenishiki rice, created at the Faculty of Bioresources of Mie University. This sake results from the collaboration between the university, the town of Taki, the farmers' cooperative and the brewery to revitalise the local area. The rice is milled down to 50%, giving the Hokosugi an aromatic, soft, rounded and slightly sharp taste. Limiting the pasteurisation process to a single heating preserves its freshness and crispness, while the softness spreads on the palate when enjoyed lukewarmly. It received the Kuramaster Gold Award in 2019.

Kawabu Brewery, founded in 1857, is located in the southern part of Ise, in a mountain village along the Kishu Highway between the Kushida and Miya rivers. It has a spring named 'Futsui' (二つ井), which is said to have been dug by Kōbō Daishi in ancient times. The brand name Hokosugi is derived from a sacred cedar tree that rises in the holy area of the Ise Shrine shaped like a spear and known as Hokosugi sake brewing is closely associated with tools and vats made from cedar. The name Kawabu is a combination of "Kawai no Kawa" and "Takehachi Buhachi" (武八ぶはち), the name of the brewer's successor. 'Brewing' instead of 'sake brewing', as the brewery also produces miso and soy sauce in addition to sake.