[SMV -7] Kamogawa Kimoto Classic Junmai Daiginjo

Fragrant, Smooth, Sweet yet Dry Junmai Daiginjo

Recommendation in collaboration with Tohoku region.
A Junmai Daiginjo using rare rice from Yamagata prefecture.

Well received during our offline event

This sake was first introduced during our December seafood private tasting event. It received a lot of interests from our VIP attendees.

In collaboration with the brewery, we managed to get limited bottles of this sake for sale.

Try now before it is sold out.

A sake with a local taste and history

Locally grown rice, limpid snowmelt water, and even the essential bacteria for sake brewing that live in the brewery.

This sake speaks of terrior, with the local characteristics of Yamagata prefecture.

It focuses on the traditional method of making sake using the traditional sake yeast, called "kamishigezukuri", which takes time and effort to produce.

It has a robust flavor, making it an enjoyable sake for pairing with dishes with strong flavors, such as meat dishes with rich sauces or Chinese cuisines.

It is a Junmai Daiginjo with deep pockets that accepts unique flavors.

It can be served cold or lukewarm for a fuller rice flavor.

The Taste:
Sweet, Smooth yet Dry

It is characterized by the moderate acidity and the full flavor of rice that can be felt only with the use of the sake yeast.

Also, it has a light yellowish tinge and viscosity and the aroma is reminiscent of lactic acid, such as yogurt and cheese, which is unique to the production of sake from the traditional sake brewing process.

Using rare rice produced only in Yamagata Prefecture

The "Sawanohana" rice is the variety of rice they use and started producing in Yamagata Prefecture about 50 years ago.

Compared to Haenuki and Koshihikari, the amount of rice harvested from the same area is much smaller. It is known as a rare rice variety because the amount of rice produced does not change much even if more fertilizer is applied.

"Sawanohana" is not sake rice, but eating rice, and is brewed with the aim of making sake that is "delicious to eat, but also delicious to drink".

The fate behind the revival of a 280-year-old brewery

 
(Image from https://jp.sake-times.com/knowledge/sakagura/sake_g_all_sakagura_trip_yamagata-02)

Kamogawa Brewery was founded in 1741.

The founder was Shichishiro Suzuki, and the brewery has been in business for more than 280 years, with each successive head of the family taking on the name.
However, over time, the consumption of sake declined and the business gradually deteriorated.

In addition, the recent Covid disaster also put a damper on the business, and it was decided to close it down in 2021. The business was then transferred to a relative of the Suzuki family, Mr. Kojima, who became the main investor.

Kamogawa has restarted as a sake brewer. With the first year of the furious brewery over and the second year of brewing just around the corner, what kind of sake brewing does "Kamogawa" aim to achieve in the future?

Mr. Kojima says, first of all, the biggest advantage is that the history spun over 280 years has been passed onto future generations.

Also he says that he would like to utilize the skills he developed during his time at Kamogawa Brewery and actively expand the slope of the company overseas in the future.

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Story of Kamogawa Brewery

The name derives from the Kyoto origin of the brewery, and was given to us by the 5th generation head of the family, who went there to serve as an apprentice and was given the distinction of being a good businessman.

For 280 years since its foundation in 1741, the first generation "Daikokuya Shichishiro" entered this Shirataka township and began brewing sake.

Located in the southwestern part of the country of Dewa (Currently Yamgata and Akit prefecture), the brewery has been brewed by the 14th generation, Issei, as the brewer himself, using the traditional method of sake brewing, using the techniques and rice selected from the rich blessings of nature and the abundance of clean water, rich soil, and clear air. 

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