KYSELA PERE ET FILS, LTD.

The Big Hawk expresses elegant sweet aromas from Iwai sake rice. The soft water source (low iron content) from the Fushimi Kyoto region makes for an enjoyable light and dry sake with a smooth, medium texture. The flavor is moderate and clean with a nice balance of sweetness. It shows a pleasantly dry finish.

The Big Hawk is made from 100% "IWAI SAKE RICE" which is only grown in Kyoto prefecture of Japan. In 1933, Iwai rice was created at the agricultural experiment station in Kyoto, and it was specifically designed for brewing quality sake. The aftermath of WWII saw a serious food crisis and sake rice was driven from the fields through national necessity. In 1988, the sake industry and agriculture industry teamed up to bring back the Iwai rice again. At that time, they only had a small amount of seeds, so it took about two years to harvest just enough volume to brew sake as a test run. Over the years, the Kyoto local sake brewers including Eikun have been improving their brewing skills to make high quality sake with Iwai rice.

This 91 pt. sake, which won a gold medal from the World Wine Championship in July 2014, is clear and bright with aromas of coconut milk, melon, pear and rice pudding; supple, dry and fruity, medium body, and has hints of vanilla, apple and pepper.

The Big Hawk is painted on the sliding door of the fourth room of the Ohiroma in the Ninomaru Palace, Nijo Castle in Kyoto Japan. (The castle was built in 1603 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.) Inside the castle, all of the rooms had to be decorated by the best artists of the time. This Big Hawk painting shows the absolute power of the Tokugawa shogunate.