Oniyamma Red Label Nakadori Jikazume Junmai Muroka Genshu

Oniyamma Red Label Nakadori Jikazume Junmai Muroka Genshu (鬼山間 赤ラベル +13 中採り直詰め 純米酒 無濾過原酒) is a limited seasonal release from Niigata Daiichi Shuzō in Jōetsu, Niigata Prefecture. Part of the brewery's Oniyamma series, it is a dry expression produced as a counterpart to the sweeter Yamma range. While the annual "Red Demon" release is usually offered as an unpasteurised junmai sake, this version is a much rarer pasteurised (hiire) bottling, not produced every year.

The sake is brewed from Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 77% and has a sake meter value of +13, placing it firmly in the extra-dry category. It is made as a nakadori (中採り, middle-press) sake and bottled directly from the press (jikazume) as an unfiltered, undiluted genshu. After bottling, the entire tank undergoes a single pasteurisation and is then stored until the brewery considers it ready for release.

Despite being pasteurised, the sake retains a slight natural spritz. The brewery describes it as combining the sharpness of a very dry sake with a rich concentration of flavour and umami, giving it more depth than its sake meter value alone might suggest. It can be enjoyed well-chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed, with each serving temperature bringing out different aspects of its character.

Niigata Daiichi Shuzō (新潟第一酒造株式会社) was founded in 1911 in what is now the Uragawara district of Jōetsu, Niigata Prefecture—located in the hills of southern Niigata, the brewery benefits from an abundant supply of soft groundwater and a climate characterised by cold, snowy winters, conditions that have long been regarded as ideal for sake brewing.

The brewery's original flagship brand is Koshino Hakuchō (越の白鳥), named after the migratory swans that winter in Niigata. In later years, it introduced several new labels, including Yamma (山間) and the limited-edition Oniyamma (鬼山間) series. These have become particularly well known among sake enthusiasts for their unfiltered, undiluted and seasonal releases, while Koshino Hakuchō continues to represent the brewery's more traditional range.

Rather than relying on the traditional seasonal tōji system, Niigata Daiichi Shuzō operates with a year-round team of employees led by a brewing manager. Staff are involved not only in brewing during the winter season but also in sales, bottling, packaging, administration and distribution throughout the year. The brewery describes this collaborative approach as a way of ensuring that everyone shares responsibility for both the quality of the sake and the company's long-term development.

Today, the brewery continues to produce a wide range of sake, from everyday styles to premium junmai daiginjō. Its stated philosophy is to create sake that brings "peace, joy and excitement" to those who drink it, combining traditional brewing techniques with continual technical improvement and the enthusiasm of a comparatively young brewing team.

Brewery

Niigata Daiichi Shuzō is located in a rural area surrounded by rice fields and mountains. The brewery uses locally sourced brewing rice together with the region's soft groundwater to produce sake that ranges from classic Niigata styles to richer, more full-bodied expressions. While many Niigata breweries are associated with a light and dry style, Niigata Daiichi Shuzō has gained a reputation for producing sake with greater depth, pronounced umami and lively acidity, particularly under the Yamma and Oniyamma labels.

Its portfolio includes the long-established Koshino Hakuchō range as well as the more experimental Yamma and Oniyamma series, many of which are released as seasonal muroka genshu (unfiltered, undiluted sake), nakadori bottlings and other small-batch expressions. The brewery's willingness to explore different brewing styles while remaining rooted in Niigata's sake-making traditions has earned it a loyal following both within Japan and abroad.