Juyondai 十四代, Shichidare Nijikkan Junmai Daiginjo 七垂二十貫 純米大吟釀 (720mL)

This product is the "Juyondai Shichidaru Nijyukkan Junmai Daiginjo", named after the proud brewing technique of "Shichidaru Nijyukkan" by Takagi Shuzo. The term "Shichidaru Nijyukkan" combines traditional Japanese units of measurement and extraction methods. "Shichidaru" refers to the process of slowly dripping the fermented moromi (sake mash) through a cloth bag, allowing the sake to collect drop by drop. This method is known as "shizukuzake" (drip sake), while the sake lees remain in the cloth bag. "Kanjukkan" is a unit of weight, where one kan equals 3.75 kilograms, so nijyukkan (twenty kan) amounts to 75 kilograms.

 

It is said that for every seven parts of sake produced, twenty parts of sake lees are left behind. In ancient times, there was a superstition that if a brewery used the "Shichidaru Nijyukkan" method, the brewery might go bankrupt. This is because extracting a small amount of sake from a large quantity of sake lees requires an immense amount of time and cost. However, Takagi Shuzo shattered this myth and adopted "Shichidaru Nijyukkan" as a symbol of their exceptional extraction technique, reserved only for their most premium sake. This move elevated Takagi Shuzo's brewing technology to a legendary level.

 

The "Shichidaru Nijyukkan" process involves using 600 kilograms of genmai (brown rice), which is polished to a seimai-buai (rice polishing ratio) of 70%. This polishing process takes approximately 10 hours. For the same amount of brown rice, polishing it down to 50% requires about 45 hours, and refining it to 40% demands an even longer polishing time of around 70 hours. Each additional 10% reduction in the rice polishing ratio requires exponentially more time and effort. This meticulous process highlights the dedication and precision behind Takagi Shuzo's pursuit of perfection in sake brewing.