Mutsu Hassen Red Label Tokubetsu Junmai

Mutsu Hassen Red Label Tokubetsu Junmai (陸奥八仙 赤ラベル 特別純米) is made of Hanafubuki rice (kōjimai) milled to 55%, and Masshigura rice (kakemai) milled to 60%. It is an all-year-round product with a smooth texture, a gorgeous fruity aroma, and Hassen's characteristic umami flavour. The umami and acidity are well-balanced, and tastes mellow on the palate.

Mutsu Hassen Red Label is released every February as a seasonal, limited-edition namazake. It was so popular that the brewery's stock used to run out by summer. For this reason, Hassen increased production and released it as a pasteurised Tokubetsu Junmai.

Awards:

• Platinum Award in the Junmai category at Kura Master 2023
• Commended in the Junmai sake category at the International Wine Challenge 2023
• Winner of the highest Gold Award at the Fine Sake Award 2023
• Silver medal at the London Sake Challenge 2020
• Gold medal at the U.S. National Sake Appraisal 2019
• Platinum Award in the Junmai category of Kura Master 2019
• Gold Award in the Premium Junmai Division at the Fine Sake Award 2019

Hachinohe Shuzō was founded in 1775 by Komai Shōzaburō (駒井庄三郎), who traced his roots to the Omi merchants from the area around Takashima City in the north-west of present-day Shiga Prefecture. After the end of the Warring States period and the start of the Edo period , feudal lords from all over the country began to focus on the development of their domains. The Omi merchants followed the call when they were invited to trade in northern castle towns. Komai Shōzaburō, the founder of Mutsu Hassen, was one of the merchants who came to the Tohoku region. He later entered the brewing business and moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in the Meiji era . In the Taisho era (1912-1926), the brewery was established in its present location under the name Komai Sake Brewery.

Today, Shōzaburō VIII and his ninth-generation sons, Nobuyuki and Hideyuki, are taking on the challenge of producing safe, tasty sake that is environmentally friendly and healthy for the times, using only locally produced rice and yeast as Aomori Prefecture's local sake, and famous water from the Hachinohe and Kanizawa areas as the brewing water. The brewery's two brands are Mutsu Otokoyama (陸奥男山) and Mutsu Hassen (陸奥八仙). The origin of Mutsu Hassen lies in the Chinese legend of the eight drunken hermits (陸奥八仙), which tells various anecdotes about them and their exciting ways of enjoying drinking. The name was chosen in the hope that the drinker would enjoy sake just like a drunken hermit.

Hachinohe Brewery has won countless national and international sake awards at Kura Master, the International Wine Challenge, the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, the Fine Sake Award, the Kan Sake Award, and many others.