Daishichi Junmai Daiginjo Kimoto Horeki

Daishichi are the Top Dogs of the sake world - They are able to not only defy mainstream sake trends, they are trendsetters that others follow suit. They are innovators, yet they are strict with their own philosophies of what tradition should be. Being an all Kimoto-style brewery, they are consistently producing some of the most exquisite sake in the world. It's a brewing style that is almost lost in the modern world as it takes twice the time and effort as the normal method. Yeast produced by the normal method does not survive the fermentation process, releasing impurities that affect flavours. Whereas, the natural selection of yeast that survives the Kimoto method results in sake with beautiful character and few impurities.

Our Master Brewer Takanobu Sato is the No 1 Kimoto brewer in Japan. He was scouted by Katsuji Ito, our great Toji of the Showa period, and already became Kashira (Deputy Toji) in his second year, as he soon demonstrated his skills. In the autumn of 1997 he became Master Brewer. Normally, the master brewer manages the whole operation by giving the other brewers specialized tasks, but Mr Sato’s way of working is different. While overseeing everything, he himself takes care of the Kimoto culture that is the key to our sake brewing, thus acting as a sort of “player-manager.” Master Brewer Sato never takes any shortcuts. His motto is: “It is simple: what decides the quality of the sake is whether you do 10 tasks perfectly or only 3.” Thanks to the perfectionism of Mr Sato, who fastidiously completes every process the right way through to the end, it was possible to realize the monumental achievement of twice winning the gold medal at the Japan Sake Awards with junmai sakes made with the Kimoto method. Now he is putting all his strength in sake making of a more generous scale, letting the sake bloom through longer maturation. In 2016 Mr Sato obtained the prestigious “Contemporary Master Craftsman Award” of the Japanese government. Mr Takanobu Sato truly is the emblematic craftsman.