Kizakura Junmai Daiginjo S 500mL

Brand: Kizakura

Release Name: Junmai Daiginjo "S"

Sake Style / Type: Premium Junmai Daiginjo Sake

Rice Variety: 100% Yamadanishiki

Rice Polishing Rate: 50%

Volume: 500ml Bottle (Also Available in 180ml)

Alc / Vol (%): 15.5–16.0% (Sources Vary Slightly)

Sake Meter Value (SMV): +1

Acidity: 1.4

Country: Japan

Region: Fushimi, Kyoto (Kansai)

Brewing Method: Junmai Daiginjo (No Added Distilled Alcohol); Slow Fermentation at 10°C; Brewed with 100% Fushimizu Water

Limited Edition: No (Kizakura's Standing "S" Junmai Daiginjo Release)

Award Winner: Not independently confirmed for this specific product — Kizakura as a brewery holds a strong general reputation, including recognition at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) across its wider range

Kizakura is one of Kyoto's most renowned sake breweries, based in Fushimi — a district famed throughout Japan for its exceptionally pure, soft groundwater, considered ideal for sake brewing. The brand takes its name from a rare variety of "Satozakura" cherry tree that produces yellow double-petaled blossoms, adopted by the company's founder for its unique beauty. Kizakura pairs traditional brewing techniques with modern methods and a commitment to environmental conservation, crafting a broad range of sake — from accessible, everyday styles like Yamahai Jikomi to premium Junmai Daiginjo releases — and is widely regarded as one of the most accessible and food-friendly Japanese sake brands available internationally.

The "S" carries a genuinely charming story behind its name — it stands for "a special sake to enjoy slowly on Saturday and Sunday," a deliberate positioning as a weekend, unwind-with-intention pour rather than an everyday drink. It's made from 100% Yamadanishiki, widely regarded as the finest sake rice in Japan — a large-grained variety with a fragile white core that's difficult to grow (its long stalk makes it vulnerable to wind) and painstaking to polish, taking around 28 hours to mill down to the 50% ratio used here. Kizakura's own Toji (brewery master), named a "Modern Master Craftsman," is known for staying at the brewery with a sleeping bag through the entire brewing season to personally oversee fermentation — a level of hands-on dedication reflected directly in this bottle. Fermented slowly at a cool 10°C over an extended period, well beyond standard sake production time, it develops real aromatic complexity and rice-driven umami that simpler, faster-brewed sakes don't achieve. It's a genuinely food-friendly Junmai Daiginjo too, pairing especially well with dishes that let simple, high-quality ingredients speak for themselves — sashimi, sushi and grilled seafood in particular — making it an easy recommendation for customers wanting an authentic, special-occasion sake from one of Kyoto's most respected breweries.