Kamoizumi Brewery Virtual Tour & Tasting
Join us on our next sake adventure—to Hiroshima and the famous brewing town of Saijo. Here we’ll meet the Maegaki family, rice wholesalers who transitioned into sake brewing at the turn of the 20th century. They established Kamoizumi Brewing Co. in 1912 and in 1967 were one of the first breweries to launch junmai sakes in post-war Japan, a focus they have continued to this day. To say Kamoizumi sakes have character is an understatement; brimming with individuality they are bold yet elegant, full-bodied with a distinct taste profile. We will tour and taste with Kamoizumi’s affable president Kazuhiro Maegaki, toji Toshiyuki Shintani, and overseas sales representative Gautier Moysset.
| Date | Tuesday, September 1, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 pm EST, 6:00 pm PST |
| Place | Zoom |
| Sake List |
Kamoizumi “Shusen” Kamoizumi “Red Maple” Kamoizumi “Nigori Ginjo” |
| Price | Free |
| RSVP | Please register online at Zoom by 8:00pm EST on September 1 |
About Kamoizumi Brewing Company
The Maegaki family who run the Kamoizumi brewery started out as rice farmers who became landlords and then moved into “value added” areas such as rice milling and eventually sake brewing at the onset of the modern era in 1910. In 1965 Kamoizumi became one of a pioneering group of ten breweries who committed to junmai sake production, at a time when breweries all over Japan were adding excessive amounts of brewers alcohol to cut costs.
At the time it was the practice to filter the pressed sake through charcoal to remove impurities and attain the pure, colorless state that was the aesthetic ideal. The Kamoizumi brewers felt, however, that these “impurities” were essential characteristics of the sake itself, and that to remove them entirely was to compromise the essential nature of its identity.
No brewery in Japan has taken a stronger stand for individuality than Kamoizumi. Their sake has an attitude: robust, tawny, full-flavored, yet with the smooth finish and easy drinkability that are the hallmarks of technical mastery. Aging and blending are paramount, and when finally released the Kamoizumi labels pair well with meat dishes and Chinese cuisine, a rarity in the sake world. Connoisseurs admire their supple balance of sweetness, acidity, astringency and the elusive flavor component of “umami.”
