[Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery] A New Pinnacle for Rice Alcohol: 'HOBO 60' Launched! The Splendor of Sake, the Clear Contour of Distilled Spirits. The Current Position of 'HOBO', a 'Nearly' Sake Liqueur Brewed with Patented Methods.
Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery has launched 'HOBO 60,' a new liqueur distinguished by a uniform 60% rice polishing ratio across all ingredients. This product merges sake brewing and shochu distillation with patented methods, pursuing new possibilities for rice alcohol that combines the elegance of sake with the clarity of distilled spirits.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 10:32
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Taking the potential of rice one step further. A new harmony born from free-thinking.
Shochu distillation technology and sake brewing technology. These two domains, which traditionally never intersected, have been spanned by Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery, which is both a farmer and a distiller, giving birth to a new Japanese alcohol that is neither sake nor shochu. That is 'HOBO'.
'HOBO' is a word meaning a wanderer or a free traveler. It is also a brand that continues to transcend the possibilities of rice, unbound by fixed forms or categories, asking 'how free can we be with just rice as the material?'.
This work, 'HOBO 60,' is a masterpiece symbolizing the brand's 'current position,' meticulously designed with all rice ingredients—from the base ginjo sake to the brewing alcohol (using Nekka rice shochu) and even the amazake—having a '60% rice polishing ratio.'
Aesthetic of Harmony: 'Everything Unified by 60'
The goal of 'HOBO 60,' which we are launching this time, was an overwhelming 'harmony.' An extremely precise design was carried out, unifying all constituent elements to a 60% rice polishing ratio.
BASE sake: Ginjo sake carefully brewed from 'Yumenoka,' a sake rice suitable for brewing from Fukushima Prefecture, polished to 60%.
Brewing alcohol: Made from 'Gohyakumangoku,' a sake rice suitable for brewing, polished to 60%, with a splendid ginjo aroma extracted through ultra-low temperature distillation.
Added amazake: Made from 'Yumenoka,' a sake rice suitable for brewing from Fukushima Prefecture, polished to 60%, extracting only its gentle sweetness.
Not over-polished, not under-polished. By aligning on the number '60%', it achieves a high-dimensional balance where aroma, umami, sweetness, and sharpness overlap like drawing a single circle.
The Splendor of Sake, the Clear Contour of Distilled Spirits
'HOBO 60' creates an unprecedented three-dimensional flavor profile through patented manufacturing methods.
[Patented Method ①] Brewing technology with high aroma and resistance to flavor degradation
Nekka rice shochu, which contains approximately double the ginjo aroma of general sake, is used as brewing alcohol. This has succeeded in preserving a splendid aroma while suppressing changes in flavor over time.
[Patented Method ②] An uncharted method of blending squeezed amazake
By adding freshly squeezed amazake at the end, the fresh sweetness inherent in rice is imparted. The aroma of sake, the clear contour of distilled spirits, and the gentle sweetness of rice are wonderfully harmonized.
The taste is 'almost' sake, yet it doesn't fit into any existing category. Upon tasting, you feel a familiar umami and sweetness, followed by a clear, refreshing sharpness. Enjoy the unique taste, born from free inspiration, that is neither sake nor shochu, unique to 'HOBO'.
The Pride of Tadami, to the Next Generation. JGAP Certification and Commitment to the Environment
Our sake brewing begins with growing rice in the fields of Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
Rice from JGAP certified fields: All sake rice used is cultivated in our own fields, which are JGAP certified to meet food safety and environmental conservation standards.
Adoption of non-plastic fertilizers: We use environmentally friendly fertilizers, looking ahead to the marine plastic problem.
We believe that by preserving tradition and sincerely addressing modern challenges, we are passing the baton to the future.
■■■Product Outline
HOBO 60
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
Rice polishing ratio: 60% for all rice ingredients (Yumenoka, Gohyakumangoku)
Rice origin: Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (JGAP certified fields, uses non-plastic coating fertilizer)
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 2,200 yen (tax included)
■■■HOBO Series
HOBO Standard
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
BASE sake: Daiginjo sake from 'Yumenoka' rice polished to 40%
Brewing alcohol: Nekka rice shochu from 'Gohyakumangoku' rice polished to 60%
Amazake: 'Yumenoka'
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 2,750 yen (tax included)
HOBO Local
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
BASE sake: Honjozo sake from 'Yumenoka' rice polished to 90%
Brewing alcohol: Nekka rice shochu from 'Gohyakumangoku' rice polished to 60%
Amazake: 'Yumenoka'
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)
■■■ About Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery
Established in Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture, by rice farmers and brewers to 'protect the hometown's rural landscape.' In 2021, it acquired Japan's first export license for sake. 'Nekka' rice shochu boasts numerous awards at international competitions such as IWSC. It connects distillation, brewing, and agriculture, continuously disseminating the new value of rice to the world.
Shochu distillation technology and sake brewing technology. These two domains, which traditionally never intersected, have been spanned by Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery, which is both a farmer and a distiller, giving birth to a new Japanese alcohol that is neither sake nor shochu. That is 'HOBO'.
'HOBO' is a word meaning a wanderer or a free traveler. It is also a brand that continues to transcend the possibilities of rice, unbound by fixed forms or categories, asking 'how free can we be with just rice as the material?'.
This work, 'HOBO 60,' is a masterpiece symbolizing the brand's 'current position,' meticulously designed with all rice ingredients—from the base ginjo sake to the brewing alcohol (using Nekka rice shochu) and even the amazake—having a '60% rice polishing ratio.'
Aesthetic of Harmony: 'Everything Unified by 60'
The goal of 'HOBO 60,' which we are launching this time, was an overwhelming 'harmony.' An extremely precise design was carried out, unifying all constituent elements to a 60% rice polishing ratio.
BASE sake: Ginjo sake carefully brewed from 'Yumenoka,' a sake rice suitable for brewing from Fukushima Prefecture, polished to 60%.
Brewing alcohol: Made from 'Gohyakumangoku,' a sake rice suitable for brewing, polished to 60%, with a splendid ginjo aroma extracted through ultra-low temperature distillation.
Added amazake: Made from 'Yumenoka,' a sake rice suitable for brewing from Fukushima Prefecture, polished to 60%, extracting only its gentle sweetness.
Not over-polished, not under-polished. By aligning on the number '60%', it achieves a high-dimensional balance where aroma, umami, sweetness, and sharpness overlap like drawing a single circle.
The Splendor of Sake, the Clear Contour of Distilled Spirits
'HOBO 60' creates an unprecedented three-dimensional flavor profile through patented manufacturing methods.
[Patented Method ①] Brewing technology with high aroma and resistance to flavor degradation
Nekka rice shochu, which contains approximately double the ginjo aroma of general sake, is used as brewing alcohol. This has succeeded in preserving a splendid aroma while suppressing changes in flavor over time.
[Patented Method ②] An uncharted method of blending squeezed amazake
By adding freshly squeezed amazake at the end, the fresh sweetness inherent in rice is imparted. The aroma of sake, the clear contour of distilled spirits, and the gentle sweetness of rice are wonderfully harmonized.
The taste is 'almost' sake, yet it doesn't fit into any existing category. Upon tasting, you feel a familiar umami and sweetness, followed by a clear, refreshing sharpness. Enjoy the unique taste, born from free inspiration, that is neither sake nor shochu, unique to 'HOBO'.
The Pride of Tadami, to the Next Generation. JGAP Certification and Commitment to the Environment
Our sake brewing begins with growing rice in the fields of Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
Rice from JGAP certified fields: All sake rice used is cultivated in our own fields, which are JGAP certified to meet food safety and environmental conservation standards.
Adoption of non-plastic fertilizers: We use environmentally friendly fertilizers, looking ahead to the marine plastic problem.
We believe that by preserving tradition and sincerely addressing modern challenges, we are passing the baton to the future.
■■■Product Outline
HOBO 60
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
Rice polishing ratio: 60% for all rice ingredients (Yumenoka, Gohyakumangoku)
Rice origin: Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (JGAP certified fields, uses non-plastic coating fertilizer)
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 2,200 yen (tax included)
■■■HOBO Series
HOBO Standard
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
BASE sake: Daiginjo sake from 'Yumenoka' rice polished to 40%
Brewing alcohol: Nekka rice shochu from 'Gohyakumangoku' rice polished to 60%
Amazake: 'Yumenoka'
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 2,750 yen (tax included)
HOBO Local
Category: Liqueur (employs patented manufacturing method)
Alcohol content: 15%
BASE sake: Honjozo sake from 'Yumenoka' rice polished to 90%
Brewing alcohol: Nekka rice shochu from 'Gohyakumangoku' rice polished to 60%
Amazake: 'Yumenoka'
Yeast: Utsukushima Yume Kobo
Pasteurization: Single pasteurization
Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)
■■■ About Nekka Oku-Aizu Distillery
Established in Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture, by rice farmers and brewers to 'protect the hometown's rural landscape.' In 2021, it acquired Japan's first export license for sake. 'Nekka' rice shochu boasts numerous awards at international competitions such as IWSC. It connects distillation, brewing, and agriculture, continuously disseminating the new value of rice to the world.