Kozaemon Junmai Ginjō Banshū Yamadaho

Kozaemon Junmai Ginjō Banshū Yamadaho (小左衛門 純米吟醸 播州山田穂 作:山田正壽 (やまだまさとし) 生) is made with Yamadaho, a rare parent variety of Yamada Nishiki, first cultivated in Hyōgo in the late nineteenth century, known for its firm acidity, gentle sweetness, and clean finish. The grains are small and low in fat, a quality that produces a sake with clarity and a light, even texture. The rice used for this brew was grown by Yamada Masatoshi, the fifth-generation successor of Yamada Seizaburō, the farmer credited with establishing the lineage that later led to Yamada Nishiki. His paddies lie in the sandy, nutrient-rich soils along the Sugiharagawa basin, where centuries of river movement have created an unusually fertile growing environment. Rice from this area is known for yielding sake with a clean, lifted character.

Nakajima Brewery in Mizunami, Gifu, used this Yamadaho in a kimoto fermentation, aiming for a style that remains true to the structure of kimoto while keeping the sweetness gentle and the texture easy to drink. The result is a polished, subtle expression of the rice: a light, fresh aroma with touches reminiscent of pear or white peach; a smooth, rounded entry; and a soft, juicy core that carries faint notes of white fruit. The flavour is clear and measured, with a quiet umami line and a neat, tidy finish. Chilled, it shows its freshness; at room temperature, the rice's underlying depth comes through more slowly.

Nakajima Shuzō was founded in 1702, when Nakajima Kozaemon Yonobu (中島小左衛門用信) established a small brewery in the area that is now part of Mizunami, Gifu. The Nakajima family kept the craft going across the Edo and Meiji periods, adjusting to changing tastes and new brewing standards while holding on to the house style that defined their sake. By 1953, the twelfth-generation head, also named Nakajima Kozaemon, took the step of incorporating the business, signalling a shift from a long family tradition into a more modern company structure.

The brewery's direction changed noticeably in the late 1990s, when it began experimenting with aged sake and looking for ways to place its products in a different cultural setting. This led to the introduction of labels featuring artwork by the painter Paul Klee, whose gentle lines and colours gave the bottles a distinct identity. Under the Shiroku (始禄) label, Nakajima released three sakes with their own moods and stories: Hansen (帆船), Ayumi (歩み) and Wasureppoi tenshi (忘れっぽい天使). Each marked a slight departure from convention while still staying true to the family's brewing roots. The launch of the Kozaemon brand in 2000 continued that process, giving the brewery a clear, recognisable name for its core line.

A more practical change came in 2018, when Nakajima completed a new brewery building. The updated facilities enabled them to move away from the old winter-only brewing cycle and adopt year-round seasonal production. With that shift, they began offering a wider range of limited- and seasonal-sake offerings, reflecting the character of each brewing period while maintaining the steady, careful approach that has carried the family brewery through more than three centuries.