Tanizakura Junmai Kita no Mori

Tanizakura Junmai Kita no Mori (純米酒 北の杜) is brewed with 100 % Yamanashi-grown rice and water drawn from the Yatsugatake range. This sake has a smooth, well-rounded character typical of the region. The palate shows clean acidity and moderate dryness (nihonshudo +4), giving it a crisp, balanced finish that pairs particularly well with fried dishes. It is noted for a perfect match with karaage, achieving a pairing score of 94 %. Bottled at 14–15 % ABV with a 65 % polishing ratio, Kita no Mori is an easy-drinking junmaishu suitable for everyday meals, best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Tanizakura Brewery (谷櫻酒造) is based in Oizumi, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It was established in 1848 as Komiyama Sake-Brewery (小宮山酒造所). The site became locally known as "Kosenya" (古銭屋) after old coins were discovered there. The brewery has remained at the foot of Mount Yatsugatake, using spring water from the mountain and locally cultivated rice. From its foundation, it has conducted its own rice polishing, typically reducing the grain by 40%. It has maintained traditional brewing methods, such as kimoto (生酛), which employs natural lactic acid bacteria, and fune shibori (槽絞り), a slow-pressing technique using cloth bags in a wooden fune press. The brewery layers hundreds of bags in the press and applies gentle, gradually increasing pressure. The pressing process typically takes at least three days—a labour-intensive method which yields sake with nuance and complexity that can vary significantly depending on the rate and style of pressing.

In October 1955, the enterprise was incorporated as Tanizakura Shuzō Yūgen Gaisha. Other achievements include the production of Yamanashi's first nama-sake (生酒) in 1981, the transition in 1992 to brewing only specially designated sake (特定名称酒), the introduction of the kimoto method across a broader range in 1998, and the release in 2013 of "Ake no GT," regarded as the first sake in Japan brewed using a sweet potato method derived from shōchu production. Tanizakura has received national and international recognition, including the top prize at the 2016 Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition for its Junmai Daiginjō Sakura Sakura, and gold medals at competitions in 2023, notably in the aged sake (古酒) category.