SAKE PORTFOLIO

Juyondai Black Label has a unique, natural beauty and captivating finesse.

Black Label was Takagi Brewery’s first official international release. In 2017, Takagi Brewery finally presented Juyondai to the world with a varietal which is particularily precious and personal to the family brewery.

Black Label is brewed with Sake Mirai, a sake rice developed by the 14th generation of Takagi Brewery, Tatsugoro Takagi, specifically to suit the climate and brewing conditions of Yamagata. Cultivated for the brewery by local farmers, Sake Mirai imparts a vibrant yet gentle expression and a sense of Yamagata’s terroir in the Black Label 2022 vintage.

Delicately perfumed with fresh notes of D'Anjou pear, Fuji apple and honeydew melon interlaced with aromas of apple blossom, and a hint of anise. Soft and supple on the palate, the flavour is an exquisite arrangement of apple and white fruits accented with refreshing notes of yuzu peel. The refreshing yet refined acidity perfectly counterbalances the gentle sweetness and umami imparted from the Sake Mirai rice. Light-medium bodied and superbly balanced, the flavour gains depth as it moves smoothly across the palate before departing with a clean, precise finish. A citrus-like zestiness lingers delightfully in aftertaste.

“A commanding sake that seamlessly joins elegance and richness of texture.” -Jennifer Docherty MW

JUYONDAI BLACK LABEL

Yamagata grown Sake Mirai - Takagi Brewery's Original Sake Rice
Alcohol 15%｜720ml

Serve at 10°C in a Sauvignon Blanc or white wine glass

Bottle matured at minus eight degrees. Once pasteurised to retain a fresh expression and maintain stability.

Red Label offers an opulent entry point to the Juyondai collection.

Red Label’s classic Juyondai expression has quickly captured the attention and praise of food and wine lovers around the world for its compatibility with a wide range of cuisines.

The nose is resplendent with pure and focused aromas of golden delicious apple, nashi pear, honeydew melon, young banana and citrus blossom. Silky smooth in texture with rich, opulent flavours of ripe fruit that swell gracefully on the palate. Medium bodied with a well defined structure and luscious acidity that provides balance to the rich, umami flavour that is imparted from the Yamada Nishiki and Aiyama rice. A hint of citrus peel and white pepper-like spiciness reverberates in the clean, off-dry finish.

An approachable, easy-to-drink style that embodies Juyondai’s exquisite expression and craftsmanship.

“Very pure expression of complex ginjo aromas, well integrated alcohol, and very fine silky texture. Rich and opulent.” –Antony Moss MW

“A refreshing style that is suitable for everyday drinking with or without food.” –Jennifer Docherty MW

JUYONDAI RED LABEL

Yokawa, Hyogo Prefecture grown Special A Grade Yamada Nishiki rice & Aiyama rice
Alcohol 15%｜720ml

Serve at 10°C in a Riesling or white wine glass

Bottle matured at minus eight degrees.
Once pasteurised to retain a fresh expression and maintain stability.

Graceful, refined and exceptionally rare, Gold Label is the crown jewel of the Juyondai collection.

Handcrafted by 15th generation master brewer, Akitsuna Takagi, with Yamada Nishiki sake rice grown in the Special Grade A fields of Yokawa, Hyogo, and pure Sakura Shimizu natural spring that follows from Yamagataʼs Dewa Mountains, this limited edition sake is the supreme representation of the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship of Takagi Brewery.

The opulent aroma is an exquisite orchestration of Fuji apple, fresh pear and honeydew melon, accented with the scent of rose petal and yuzu peel. The palate is smooth, precise and finely structured, with a luxurious layering apple, pear and melon integrated with rich umami notes imparted by the Yamada Nishiki rice. The well-balanced acidity enhances the fruit and carries the flavour to a long, graceful off-dry finish. A pleasant citrus peel-like accent lingers in the aftertaste.
The overall impression is one of elegance and harmony.

Prized for its exquisite flavour and compatibility with a wealth of cuisines, Gold Label is highly coveted by gourmands and sommeliers around the world.

“Outstanding. Very long pure finish with a lovely succession of precisely defined ginjo aromas. Beautiful texture with finesse.” –Antony Moss MW

“A fine sake that is harmonious in every sense of the word.” –Jennifer Docherty MW

JUYONDAI GOLD LABEL

Yokawa, Hyogo Prefecture grown Special A Grade Yamada Nishiki rice
Alcohol 15%｜720ml

Serve at 10°C in a Pinot Noir glass

Bottle matured at minus eight degrees.
Once pasteurised to retain a fresh expression and maintain stability.

Tatsugoro Takagi, the fourteenth generation of Takagi Brewery, was fascinated by spirits such as cognac and tequila from a young age. In 1974, he acquired an alembic pot still from Maison Maresté, in France, and devoted himself to researching long-term oak barrel storage for many years. Based on the techniques he developed, this product is made from carefully selected rice that is repeatedly distilled in a Charentais pot still or alembic, which is pronounced as “ranbiki” in Japanese.

Juyondai Ranbiki-shu is made from carefully selected rice and is repeatedly distilled in a Charentais copper alembic still that is heated over an open fire. Only the “heart” [the prized “nakadori” or middle portion of the filtration process] is extracted and stored for long-term maturation. After three years of cellaring and maturing, it is further aged in white oak Sherry barrels for 10 years, thus creating a unique and luxurious spirit that could be described as the ‘Cognac of Japanese sake’.

Since ancient times, it has been said that the alcohol which breathes in and out of the cask is a “gift to the gods”, while the alcohol which remains in the cask is a “blessing from the gods”.

With sincere gratitude to its international customers, Takagi Brewery wishes to share the rich aroma and mellow taste of Juyondai Ranbiki-shu with the world.

Please enjoy the sweet, mellow aroma derived from the sherry cask and the deep, ambrosial, smoothly matured flavour that is an homage to the passage of time.

JUYONDAI RANBIKI-SHU

Distilled from Yokawa, Hyogo Prefecture grown Special A Grade Yamada Nishiki Rice
Alcohol 40%｜720ml

Ten year white oak sherry barrel maturation.
Limited edition | 1,000 bottles

N’s elegant expression is the result of the harmony that is created between the fresh, fruity aroma and full-bodied flavour imparted by Yamada Nishiki rice and the refined sweetness of the rare Aiyama sake rice.

When gently chilled, sumptuous aromas of cantaloupe melon, Fuji apple, La France pear, white peach, citrus peel, and white flowers emanate from the glass, before cascading into a smooth, well structured flavour which spreads widely across the palate, then departs with a well defined, clean finish.

As N gently warms in the glass the aroma and flavour gracefully deepens, bringing notes of ripe melon, juicy apple, luscious fruit, rose water and anise to the fore. In the mid-palate the flavour develops a rich umami taste and luxurious complexity which swells, expands and then elegantly recedes into a long and graceful finish.

N can be enjoyed during the current vintage year, or, like a grand cru wine, it can be carefully matured. Aging at minus temperatures will allow N to develop depth and draw out more flavours in a variety of cuisines.

N by Hidetoshi Nakata

Yokawa, Hyogo Prefecture grown Special A Grade Yamada Nishiki rice & Aiyama rice
Alcohol 15%｜750ml

Serve at 10°C in a Bordeaux glass

"Shizuku-shibori" cloth bag drip-pressed. Bottle matured at minus eight degrees. Once pasteurised to retain a fresh expression and maintain stability. Only 1000 bottles of this limited edition sake are produced each vintage.

N by Hidetoshi Nakata is reborn as 2016 VINTAGE, an exceptionally rare sake with a graceful expression and elegant complexity that is reminiscent of a fine grand cru.

Although N by Hidetoshi Nakata is released each year, a small number of bottles are reserved for long term aging at Takagi Brewery to develop a graceful expression that pays homage to the passage of time.

Only exceptional years of N by Hidetoshi Nakata VINTAGE are released, and only when the matured sake has reached its optimum aroma, flavour and complexity.

N by Hidetoshi Nakata 2016 VINTAGE is the first vintage to be shared with the world.

Following six years of long-term aging at minus eight degrees, the bright fruit aromas present in its youth have elegantly evolved into mellow notes of pear compote, honey, yellow flowers, chamomile, hazelnut and a hint of salty minerality.

These ambrosial aromas continue in the flavour which washes widely across the palate in a smooth, velvety wave. The mellow flavour becomes concentrated in the mid-palate, revealing the deep, umami taste imparted by the Yamada Nishiki rice and the refined richness of the rare Aiyama sake rice.

Long-term maturation has elegantly softened rich flavour and well defined structure that is characteristic of N, as well as bought to the fore layers of mellow, savoury notes and a compelling minerality. The juicy acidity provides balance and draws the flavour to a long, luxurious off-dry finish.

N by Hidetoshi Nakata VINTAGE 2016

Yokawa, Hyogo Prefecture grown Special A Grade Yamada Nishiki rice & Aiyama rice
Alcohol 15%｜750ml

Serve at 10°C in a Bordeaux glass

"Shizuku-shibori" cloth bag drip-pressed. Bottle matured at minus eight degrees. Once pasteurised to retain a fresh expression and maintain stability. Only 1000 bottles of this limited edition sake are produced each vintage.