Takasago Junmai Ginjō Taisetsu Setchūchozō

Takasago Junmai Ginjō Taisetsu Setchūchozō (高砂 純米吟醸酒 大雪 雪中貯蔵) is made of locally grown Gimpu rice milled to 55%. During the winter, when the snow is deep, freshly pressed sake is stored in tanks in the snow on the hills of Biei-chō (美瑛町). It slowly matures until spring, when the snow begins to melt. It is characterised by its mild, umami-flavoured flavour and refreshing taste.

What is snow-stored sake?

This unique storage method was started by the Takasago Brewery in 1997, aiming to use nature more in sake brewing. The temperature inside the tanks buried in snow is kept at around minus 2°C, and because the tank surfaces do not come into direct contact with the outside air, air convection caused by temperature changes is suppressed, making the maturation environment more stable.

Takasago Shuzō in Asahigawa, Hokkaidō, was founded in 1890 by Kohiyama Tetsuzaburo (小檜山鐵三郎), the third son of Fukunishi Han 'emon, a cotton yarn wholesaler in Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture. He ran a dry goods business in Sapporo under the trade name Kakujō (角上). The Hokkaidō development wave was gaining momentum, and the population was increasing. Tetsuzaburo decided to take over a set of brewing tools from a friend's brewery and turn his business into a brewery. 1899 saw the founding of the Kobiyama Shuzōten (小檜山酒造店). It was the fourth brewery established in Asahikawa, but more than ten others followed in rapid succession until Asahikawa became known as the 'Nada of the North Sea'.

At its completion, the brewery was busy with workers and merchants, and a series of operations and business were carried out, including production, bottling, storage, and sales. Today, the brewery remains a direct sales outlet and a landmark in its original appearance. The initial brand names were Fukusen (福泉, a name derived from the wealth of the Fukunishi family), Fukuju (福寿) and Takasago (髙砂) and won awards at numerous competitions. Later on, the brand name was changed to 'Asahi Fukusen', 'Asahi Fukuju' and 'Asahi Takasago' by adding the character 'Asahi' (旭) to the name. In 1926, Asahi Takasago became the first Hokkaidō sake to win the first prize at the National Sake Competition. Other brands, such as 'Kita no Miyako Masamune', 'Kita Kotobuki', and 'Kita Shun', were added to the range, and the sake of the Kobiyama Brewery spread throughout Hokkaidō.

In 1965, the brewery merged with Ishizaki Shuzō and changed its name to Takasago Shuzō. In 1975, the company produced Kokushimusou, a dry, "masculine" sake, in response to the changing times. From the 1990s, new brewing methods such as "ice and snow enclosure" (氷雪囲い), "snow storage" (雪中貯蔵) and "snow ice chamber" (雪氷室), which make full use of Asahikawa's cold and snowy climate in winter, have gained popularity as attractive Japanese sake. Among these is the 'Overnight Shizuku', brewed by hanging sake in a bag in the 'snow ice chamber'.

In 2008, the brewery started to produce liqueur and umeshu.