475 Years of Curiosity
Our passion lies in creating beautiful sake.
Not simple beauty, but rich in complexity and rewarding to careful contemplation.
Sake with a free spirit that liberates with each taste.
We have been brewing Shirayuki, Japan’s oldest clear sake brand, since 1550 in Itami, the birthplace of clear sake. Over centuries of experience, we have embraced and refined our legacy.
Using the finest ingredients and traditional techniques, combined with time, our most precious asset, a harmony between old and new is born. Through careful contemplation of many possibilities, we experience the joy of finally reaching this moment.
The result is delicate, exquisite sake created through Assemblage, an experience that can never be repeated. We invite you to enjoy it as if deciphering a puzzle.
With Kanza, let your thoughts and sensitivities dissolve, and savor a beautiful moment.
Old ways in new times
Assemblage—
Discovering the New
by Honoring the Past
Sake brewing is a collaborative process with microorganisms.
It is governed by the rhythms of nature, so the taste of sake can vary from barrel to barrel.
Tradionally, sake brewers in Japan have practiced the art of blending different sake with distinct characteristics to craft their desired taste.
This blending technique is part of Japanese sake culture, and we are committed to passing it on to future generations.
This passion drives us to pursue a new concept, one that fuses traditional techniques with time.
(Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture)
Assemblage 01. The Puzzle of Time
Sake Eitai Oboecho is a record of sake brewing in the Edo period (1603-1868) passed down through the Konishi family.
From this revered source of wisdom, we reproduced a sake recipe from 320 years ago, using Yamada Nishiki rice, from Hyogo Prefecture and then gave it time to take on new depths of flavor.
Among this rare vintage sake, approximately 10% of the 2007 and 2008 brewing years has been released.
This blend includes sake that has been allowed to mature in hogshead casks with notes of vanilla and caramel, in French oak barrels for a spicy aroma and tannin, and in Japanese oak barrels with a fresh bitterness reminiscent of agarwood and sandalwood.
Each sake variety carries its own bold, distinctive character. After exploring the infinite possible compositions, we discovered perfect, exquisite harmony.
- Shirayuki Kanza Aged Vintage Sake
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Ingredients: rice (Hyogo Prefecture), rice malt (rice from Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice used: 100% Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo Prefecture
Quality: Junmai (undiluted)
Rice polishing ratio: 88%
Alcohol content: 17% or above but less than 18%
Assemblage 02. Parallel Time
Special daiginjo is crafted once a year from rice polished to down 35%, using the finest expertise at Konishi Brewing.
Our artisans carefully select Yamada Nishiki rice grown in the special A district in Hyogo, rice ideal for crafting ginjo sake. They then steam the rice and prepare the rice malt (koji) all by hand, skillfully assessing how the rice absorbs water using their seasoned intuition.
The sake, slowly squeezed drop by drop, is exceptionally clear and beautiful.
But pure and simple beauty can feel predictable.
We let the new sake rest for a year, allowing it to mellow.
Afterwards, we add a rare sake, brewed with the same meticulous care and matured since 2011, to it one to deepen the aroma beyond that of a youthful ginjo.
We invite you to discover the subtle element of surprise hidden within its beauty.
- Shirayuki Kanza Daiginjo
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Ingredients: rice (Hyogo Prefecture), rice malt (rice from Hyogo Prefecture), distilled alcohol
Rice used: 100% Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo Prefecture
Quality: Daiginjo (undiluted)
Rice polishing ratio: 35%
Alcohol content: 16% or above but less than 17%
Decanter Baccarat—the Color of Time
To let you experience the color of sake shaped by the passage of time, and the sparkle of light that shines through it, we present it in a Baccarat crystal decanter.
Decanting is a ritual to finish the aging process of sake.Simultaneously, it gently releases the generous aroma. The delicately sandblasted snowflakes motifs complete the decanter’s timeless presence.
Since this sake is all about savoring time, please cherish and enjoy this very moment.
Konishi Brewing 475th Anniversary
Commemorative Set
[Limited Edition of 200] / Each decanter individually numbered
- Shirayuki Kanza Aged Vintage Sake (500 ml) 1 bottle
- Shirayuki Kanza Daiginjo (500 ml) 1 bottle
- Baccarat decanter (720 ml) 1 piece
JPY1,100,000 (JPY 1,000,000 before tax)
You must be at least 20 years old to drink alcohol.
Drinking alcohol while pregnant or nursing can have a negative impact on the fetus or baby.
Enjoy drinking in moderation. Never drink and drive.
