The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Hiroki
No.09 · Brewery Profile
Hiroki飛露喜 · Hiroki Shuzo Honten 廣木酒造本店
When Kenji Hiroki inherited a brewery on the brink, he reinvented it around a small-batch junmai that paired clean fruit with deep umami. Released in the late 1990s, Hiroki became a symbol of Fukushima’s rise as one of Japan’s most awarded sake regions.
Who makes Hiroki?
Hiroki Shuzo Honten, founded around 1800 in Fukushima. When Kenji Hiroki inherited the brewery on the brink of closure, he reinvented it around a small-batch junmai pairing clean fruit with deep umami, released in the late 1990s — a bottle credited with helping mark Fukushima’s rise as one of Japan’s most awarded sake regions.
What does Hiroki taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami, the Tokubetsu Junmai is clean and notably balanced with rich umami. The Junmai Daiginjo turns more elegant and fragrant at 4/5 aromatic, while the Junmai Ginjo Black Label is fresh, fruity and smooth — all three share a moderate 3/5 acidity.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Tokubetsu Junmai, the bottle the story identifies as the original small-batch junmai that reinvented the brewery, balancing clean fruit and deep umami.
How does Hiroki compare to other Fukushima breweries?
Hiroki shares its Rich & Umami tag with prefecture-mate Daishichi, which also carries Elegant & Refined. Others in Fukushima diverge further: Sharaku is tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined, and Suehiro pairs Rich & Umami with Acidity-driven rather than Hiroki’s balanced umami profile.
Frequently asked questions
When was Hiroki Shuzo Honten founded?
Around 1800, in Fukushima.
Who revived the brewery and when?
Kenji Hiroki, who inherited a brewery on the brink of closure and reinvented it with a small-batch junmai released in the late 1990s.
How many bottles does Hiroki make on this page?
Three — Tokubetsu Junmai, Junmai Daiginjo, and Junmai Ginjo Black Label.
The bottles
Tokubetsu Junmai特別純米
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Clean aroma, rich umami, notably balanced.”
Junmai Daiginjo純米大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Elegant, refined, fragrant premium.”
Junmai Ginjo Black Label純米吟醸 黒ラベル
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Fresh, fruity and smooth.”
Reading the bars: an editorial flavor reading (0–5) of each bottle — Dry→Rich, Light→Full, Subtle→Aromatic, Low→High acidity — not laboratory values. The colored badge is the SSI four-type classification (薫酒 Kunshu · 爽酒 Soshu · 醇酒 Junshu · 熟酒 Jukushu). SMV and acidity appear only where the brewery publishes them.
Sources: nippon.com · sakenomy.jp