Akishika Brewery is situated in mountains between Kyoto and Osaka in the Kansai region of Japan’s main island, a rich land of terraced rice paddies and dense bamboo forests. All of the rice used at Akishika Brewery is locally grown, contracted to local farmers committed to “bio-dynamic” (junkan) farming practices. The 6th generation brewery owner of Akishika, Oku-san, is also proud to have pioneered new methods of seasonal composting and flooding of the fields that enable him to grow all his rice naturally, without additives or chemical pest control. As Mr. Oku says, “I grow the rice carefully so you can taste the true quality of the rice.”

Founded in 1886, Akishika has acquired a reputation amongst connoisseurs as a producer of top-quality sake with a robust and unique character. Because they are also dedicated to not using any charcoal filtration, the full flavors of their carefully grown rice are able to shine.

Akishika is a very small brewery: a staff of just 5 people work during the winter months to produce the year’s sake. Most of their sake is consumed locally––and quickly!––so we are very excited to be able to bring a limited quantity to the United States.

This is a namazake [unpasteurized] and also genshu [undiluted], which means no water has been added to it after the completion of the production process, resulting in a full-bodied, very dry sake with pronounced acidity and sweet-fruit tones. In spite of its high alcohol content, this sake does not have an alcohol dominated aftertaste and will continue to show greater depth as it ages---yes, ages! We find that this sake improves and mellows with age, even after opening. 

Akishika Shuzo does not yet have a website, but you can take a virtual tour of the brewery via our slideshow, below!