Kikusui

Est. 1881

The Kikusui brewery was founded in 1881 by Setsugoro Takasawa, who left his family home at the age of 16 to start his own business. In 1905 the business was inherited by the second generation Shuntaro who energetically studied advancing brewing techniques from across the country, introduced rice polishing machines and increased the kura’s sales, creating a 1,000-koku brewery. However, in 1940 Shuntaro succumbed to cerebral apoplexy and the following year his son, Tokujiro, also passed away due to renal failure. Tokujiro’s son, Eisuke, was only 11 at the time of his death, leaving his widow, Chiyo, to become the third brewery manager. Eisuke finally became the fourth company president in 1954.

Eisuke took what he learned from studying at the Waseda University School of Commerce, paired it his family’s spirit of enterprise and continued their work to modernize the brewery, beginning with abolishing the kioke (wooden cask) system. But his kura was destroyed during the 1964 Niigata earthquake, and in the flooding of the Kaji river in 1966 and ’67. In 1969 Eisuke moved the business to its current location, and abandoned the tōji system in 1972, propelling them forward by bringing in more advanced equipment for more logical production.

Daisuke Takasawa, current owner of Kikusui. Image by Jason M. Lang, courtesy of Gatehouse Publishing.

Products

Featured

Kikusui - Junmai Ginjo

$28.00

Think of Kikusui Junmai Ginjo as that stalwart friend who you can always call up in a moment’s notice and won’t let you down. This junmai ginjo an all-around good sake with medium body, a classic taste and short finish that lets the food pairing do most of the talking. We’ll also get light citrus notes on the nose.

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo is for those looking for an easy choice that will pair with most foods. Serve chilled with fish, white meats or vegetables.

Kikusui - Junmai Daiginjo

$45.00

This is a special bottle. Kikusui Junmai Daiginjo is made from Kikusui rice, which was a nearly extinct rice strain until the company brought it back from no more than 25 remaining seeds.

The effect of using Kikusui rice is a remarkable sake. It produces a distinct pineapple Hi-Chew-like aroma. It has medium body with balanced acidity, and overall dry to off-dry. Recommended to have this served chilled for a fuller body and better integration of these characteristics!

Kikusui - Junmai Daiginjo Sakamai Genshu

$100.00

Only 3 available

Kikusui's Junmai Daiginjo Sakamai Genshu is a mouthful to say aloud, but speaks volumes when you want to give it as a gift or to serve for special occasions.

This daiginjo is made with a rare and almost extinct sake rice, the eponymous kikusui rice. The kikusui rice species is originally from Niigata prefecture and only had 25 individual grains left. With the partnership between local agricultural associations and farmers, the rice was able to be cultivated once again for making small batches of sake.

The result is a sake with an exceptionally crafted sake. It has a dry profile, elegant aroma (reminiscent of fresh apple) and rich flavor. The texture is perfectly rounded too. As a genshu with its slightly higher alcohol content, you'll get a more mature and mellower characteristic.