Kimori Namachozo Honjozo 750mL

Kimori Namachozo Honjozo is a single-pasteurized sake made by Nagano Kikusui Brewery in Nagano Prefecture using locally grown Takane-Nishiki rice. What sets this bottle apart is its namachozo designation, meaning it skips the first of sake's traditional two pasteurization steps and goes directly to the second, preserving more of the fresh, lively character typically associated with unpasteurized namazake while gaining the shelf stability that Chicago retail requires. As a honjozo-grade sake, it includes a small addition of distilled alcohol during fermentation, which lightens the body and draws out aromatic compounds that would otherwise remain muted, resulting in a cleaner, drier profile than its junmai counterparts. Nagano Kikusui Brewery sits in Japan's mountainous Nagano Prefecture, an inland region known for cold winters, pure snowmelt water, and high-altitude rice cultivation that produces compact, high-starch grains ideal for sake production. The brewery selected Takane-Nishiki, a local Nagano rice varietal prized for its clean fermentation characteristics and ability to express umami without heaviness. The decision to pasteurize only once, after aging but before bottling, is a technical choice that splits the difference between the bracing freshness of fully unpasteurized sake and the rounded stability of twice-pasteurized futsu-shu, allowing the rice's natural sweetness to emerge gradually on the palate while keeping the texture light and the finish crisp. The sake opens with a clean, almost neutral entry that blooms into subtle umami and rice sweetness mid-palate, finishing dry with a faint minerality from the mountain water. Serve it well chilled, straight from the refrigerator, to preserve the delicate balance the single pasteurization provides. It pairs seamlessly with sushi, sashimi, grilled fish, and lighter izakaya fare like edamame or cold tofu, but the brewery designed it to be versatile enough to accompany richer dishes like yakitori, tempura, or even roasted chicken without overwhelming the food or fading into the background. Kimori Namachozo Honjozo is available now at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, for pickup, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.