Our shops
There are two souvenir shops at Shimazaki Sake Brewery.
The brewery shop is at our main brewery building near Nasu-Karasuyama Station. The cave shop is at our cave about 5min drive away from the Brewery (the cave is only open on weekdays and national holidays so please check if open). Both offer a wide range of sake and sake-related products perfect to buy as gifts or to consume during your trip.
Brewery Shop
Cave Shop
Brewery Shop
Our main store (google map) is located at the brewery where we offer a full range of products including vintage sake (example: 20 yr aged sake 19,800 yen / 720ml), award-winning sake (3,000-5,500 yen / 720ml), limited edition seasonal sake (1,200-2,000 yen / 720ml) as well as Umeshu (1,155 yen / 500ml) and cocktails (1,276 yen / 500ml).
*prices are shown as an indication only
Cave Shop
The cave where we age our sake to make Koshu, and is a popular attraction. We have a special pop-up store inside the cave (google map) on most weekends and national holidays. If you take a tour of the cave, you can see the different sake being aged as well as our new year’s sake (5,500 yen / 1.5L) being matured. There is also an ‘owners’ bottles‘ area where customers can buy a sake to be aged. Why not buy a bottle to mature until your next anniversary?
The cave is only open on Weekends and National holidays except for the end of December and early January. Please see here for details https://azumarikishi.co.jp/tour/ if you plan to visit.
*prices are shown as an indication only
Sake Tasting
Back at the brewery shop, you can book a tasting session where you can compare sake that has been aged for different years in our cave. Please book here in advance.
Owners Bottle System
In the cave, there is a section where we age sake for our customers. (11,000 yen for 5 years up to 33,000 yen for 20 years)
Please see here for details https://doukutsu.azumarikishi.co.jp/products/owners.
*prices are shown as an indication only
RECOMMENDED SAKE & TASTING NOTES
Azuma Rikishi Junmai Ginjo Yumesasara
(Alc15%)
Characteristics
–
Flavor
Off-dry, med-body, crisp, short finish
Aroma
Light: melon, honeysuckle, pineapple, rose, anise
Food Matches
Red fish, fruit or chocolate, calamari, salty salad, fried octopus, chicken
What we think
A mellow entrance of tropical pineapple with a little sweetness and crisp acidity cut away by a short, smooth dry finish. Blink and you will miss it but it leaves you with a great impression and a thirst for more. A great mood setting sake that is sure to be a hit with white wine lovers.
HARALD DE ROPP
Christopher Hughes
Brian Hutto
Azumarikishi Daiginjo
(Alc17%)
Characteristics
–
Flavor
Med-dry, light, smooth
Aroma
Modest: Melon, pear, strawberry, starfruit, cotton candy, mint, cucumber, aniseed, cane sugar
Food Matches
Camembert pizza, bruschetta, fruit salad, light starters
What we think
From the first sip, tangy bursts of fruit erupt on the tongue like fireworks. An ethereal, crowd-pleasing sake balancing purity and elegance with a little crunch provided by a brisk acidity. The sake has a richness to it but isn’t heavy. The finish is long and memorable. Perfect for celebrations and parties.
HARALD DE ROPP
Christopher Hughes
Brian Hutto
UROKO Daiginjo 5 years aged
(Alc17%)
Characteristics
Faint lemon color
Flavor
Sweet, full body, long finish
Aroma
Pronounced: Shiitake mushrooms, hazelnut, banana, coffee, soy, brown sugar, caramel, geranium, butter, bamboo, wet river stone, old tatami
Food Matches
Grilled mackerel, blue cheese pizza, steak with demi glace, Korean BBQ
What we think
Quintessential aged sake meets Japanese countryside ryokan. A sake to enjoy as a nightcap or to celebrate. Surprisingly elegant and ethereal through the mid-palate despite its maturity. Finishes with a delightfully long finish followed by an encore of cashew nuts, bacon and mature cheddar. Just enough acidity to balance out the high levels of sweetness. High viscosity but not cloying. Alcohol is deceptively-well- integrated you will have had a few glassfuls before you realize how strong this is. Oodles of umami to enhance any food you pair with it. Treat yourself!
HARALD DE ROPP
Christopher Hughes
Brian Hutto
UROKO Daiginjo 10 years aged
(Alc17%)
Characteristics
–
Flavor
Med-dry, full body, long finish
Aroma
Medium: Deep chestnut, caramel, vanilla, truffle, meat juices, cinnamon, wet leaves, tree bark, anise, liquorice
Food Matches
Yogurt with dark cherry sauce, foie gras, roasted parsnips, shiokara, peking duck, ice cream, creme brulee, roasted meats
What we think
Right from the opening, notes of cloves and spices give this sake a holiday feel. Incredibly expressive and confident on the nose, but much more refined and shy on the palate. A strong acidity keeps the sweeter elements from tiring the palate out. Tertiary notes of autumn leaves and tree bark lead into a an umami-fueled but clean, long, finish. Sake’s answer to Christmas wine?
HARALD DE ROPP
Christopher Hughes
Brian Hutto
UROKO Yamahai Junmai Genshu (aged 3 years)
(Alc17%)
Characteristics
–
Flavor
Med-dry, full body, rich, smooth, long finish
Aroma
Medium: Truffles, walnuts, vanilla, brandy butter, coffee beans, milk chocolate, bourbon barrel, woody, earthy, hay
Food Matches
Chicken liver, gibier, fois gras, cheese pizza, texas bbq, tamarizuke, tantanmen, mabo tofu, yakitori, Chinese food
What we think
No longer showing the vestiges of its youth but dapper and oozing style. In the mid-palate it is complex, multi-layered, rugged but elegant. With every sip it evolves. The texture is smooth with subdued tangy bursts of acidity that keep all the other elements in balance. The finish is grippy, long, complex and sumptuous with hints of cocoa, walnuts and vanilla. A yamahai sake aged over two years through a unique two stage aging-process. A great entry-level aged sake.
HARALD DE ROPP
Christopher Hughes
Brian Hutto
Special thanks to the Sake Specialists
Harald de Ropp
Harald works at a global consulting firm in Tokyo and is a sake lover and promoter. He is a certified Advanced Sake Professional, has achieved the WSET (Wine & Spirit Trust) Level 3 Award in Sake and has taken a sake brewing course at Gakko Gura on Sado Island in Niigata.
Christopher Hughes
Sake Educator, Christopher, teaches for WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) in Tokyo. He is also the co-host of the “Sake on Air” podcast supported by Japan Sake & Shochu Maker’s Association. He worked for Tatenokawa Shuzo for 1 year in sales, and is currently working at KURAND Sake Market.
Brian Hutto
Owner of the sake import/export business, Hutto Trading LLC, as well as Craft Sake Shoten, a sake bar and tasting room in Yokohama. Brian offers sake tasting and education experiences for foreigners visiting Japan.