Kidoizumi Shuzo 木戸泉 酒造

For over 50 years, Kidoizumi Shuzo has been a pioneer in crafting natural acidity-forward sake pairable with a range of foods to sakes rich and full with extended aging. They use a unique and traditional method for sake making, relying on natural airborne lactic bacteria and the Kōon Yamahai Moto (or high-temperature yamahai method) to craft their sakes that are full of brightness, vibrancy and savoury notes.

Near the shores of the Pacific Ocean in the town of Isumi in Chiba, Kidoizumi Shuzo was established in 1879 and currently the 5th generation owner & toji, Hayato Shoji, runs the operations of his family brewery. It was in the 1950s when mass production of highly processed sake was the norm, the 3rd generation decided that change was urgently needed.  He quickly shifted production methods to ban all additives, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers eventually. It was in the mid-70s, the Kidoizumi Shizenmai, a 100% natural sake was born!

Essential to making this style of sakes possible is utilizing the hot Yamahai method, which relies on lactic acid-producing bacteria propagated naturally in large amounts at the brewery and added to the moto that is kept at a high temperature (In traditional Yamahai’s, the moto must be kept at colder temperatures to avoid contamination). The result allows Kidoizumi Brewery to craft multi-layered sakes which have a unique balance of sweetness, acidity, richness, and aromatics ranging from floral tones to earthy umami rice notes. 

Another factor that makes Kidoizumi Shuzo such a unique producer is their focus on crafting aged sakes that stand the test of time. What was once the case where a sake brewed a year ago lost its value quickly, crafting aged sakes that develop more complexity and flavour with time (similar to wine) became another focus at the brewery. The library currently extends from 5 to 40+ years!

Also unique to this brewery is the “afs” line of sakes. These rely on a 1 stage fermentation, where all the rice, water, yeast, starter mash, and koji go in the tank together in 1 day and are left to ferment (normally this is a 4-day process of ingredients added incrementally). This results in a sake that’s completely wild, savory, fruity and with bright acidity, similar to a natural wine. A sake developed to be enjoyed with food, creative food pairing options become endless. 

Hayato Shoji and his team continue to preserve their rich history but also continue to innovate whenever they can and their complex and layered sakes will definitely surprise any sake lover!

*the name ”afs” stands for the first letter of each of the 3 people who had contributed to developing this sake.