The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Houou Biden
No.54 · Brewery Profile
Houou Biden鳳凰美田 · Kobayashi Shuzo 小林酒造
Founded in 1872 in Oyama, Tochigi, Kobayashi Shuzo makes Houou Biden — junmai daiginjo and junmai ginjo celebrated for fruity, fragrant character often described with pineapple and tropical-fruit aromas.
Who makes Houou Biden?
Kobayashi Shuzo, founded in 1872 in Oyama, Tochigi. The brewery’s Houou Biden label is celebrated for fruity, fragrant character often described with pineapple and tropical-fruit aromas.
What does Houou Biden taste like?
Tagged Aromatic & Fruity, both bottles rate highly on aroma. The Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki is pressed for elegance at a 5/5 aromatic rating, while the Wakamizu Junmai Ginjo, made from local Tochigi rice, is fresh and fragrant at 4/5.
Which bottle should you try first?
The Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki, pressed for elegance and rated the more aromatic of the two, represents the label’s signature fruity, fragrant style most fully.
How does Houou Biden compare to other Tochigi breweries?
Houou Biden’s single Aromatic & Fruity tag contrasts with prefecture-mates Senkin, tagged Acidity-driven and Aromatic & Fruity, Sohomare, tagged Rich & Umami and Acidity-driven, and Sawahime, tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp — Houou Biden leans purely into fruit and fragrance without those other breweries’ acid or dryness emphasis.
Frequently asked questions
How is Houou Biden’s flavor typically described?
As fruity and fragrant, often with pineapple and tropical-fruit aromas.
What rice does the Wakamizu Junmai Ginjo use?
Local Tochigi rice called Wakamizu, milled to 55%.
How many bottles does Houou Biden make?
Two on this page: a Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki and a Wakamizu Junmai Ginjo.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki純米大吟醸 山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Aromatic and fruity; pressed for elegance.”
Wakamizu Junmai Ginjo若水 純米吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Local Tochigi rice; fresh and fragrant.”
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: sakeno.com · nihonmono.jp