Yumezukuri

A Promise Between the God of Sake Brewing and the Man Entrusted with Hibiki

In December 2023, at the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Awards ceremony, two master craftsmen from entirely different worlds exchanged words for the first time.

One was Naohiko Noguchi. Born in Noto, Ishikawa, in 1932, he devoted himself to sake brewing from the age of sixteen. Over his career, he earned 26 gold medals at the Annual Japan Sake Awards. Revered as “the god of sake brewing,” Noguchi once retired, only to return in 2017 as the master brewer of the institute bearing his own name. There is a famous irony about him: despite his finely developed sensory judgment in sake brewing, he describes himself as a non-drinker who tastes sake in his work but does not normally drink it. Precisely because he does not drink himself, he traveled tirelessly to meet consumers face-to-face, listening to their voices and refining his craft around their experience.

A Shared Purpose Amidst Crisis

The other was Seiichi Koshimizu, the legendary Suntory blender behind masterpieces such as Hibiki and Yamazaki 50 Year Old. He became the first Japanese person inducted into the whisky industry’s Hall of Fame.

One worked in fermented alcohol, the other in distilled spirits. Their worlds should never have crossed. Yet less than a month after they met, on January 1, 2024, the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck. Noto was Noguchi’s homeland.

According to the institute, Koshimizu wanted to help Noto after the earthquake.

That purpose sparked a unique collaboration, bringing the philosophy of whisky blending into the world of sake.

The result was Yumezukuri: Special Limited Sake for Noto Earthquake Recovery Support.

The Harmony of Seven Vintages

From the institute’s reserves of yamahai-brewed sake, nine different base sakes were selected from five varieties of rice and seven brewing vintages. Koshimizu then unified them into a single expression by blending them together. The goal was to create layers and depth impossible to achieve from a single tank alone.

In the institute’s interview, Koshimizu explained the challenge:

Unlike whisky stocks made for blending, these sakes had each been made to stand alone.

The institute also reported Noguchi’s response to the finished blend:

He assessed the blend favorably.

Crafted with the Soul of Noto

Yumezukuri is not a sparkling or flashy sake. It is a quiet composition built upon the powerful backbone cultivated through the traditional yamahai method. It was deliberately designed to transform across temperatures: from chilled at around 10°C (50°F) to warmed sake at roughly 55°C (131°F), the aroma and character are said to evolve gracefully, revealing different facets from a single bottle.

Even the details of its presentation carry the spirit of the land. The label is made with Noto Nigyo washi paper, and the title calligraphy was created by Tansetsu Ogino, the same calligrapher who designed the iconic “Hibiki” logo. A portion of the proceeds is dedicated to supporting the earthquake-stricken region.

Before Yumezukuri is judged by taste alone, it asks first to be understood through the reason it exists at all.

It is a bottle that carries the weight of seventy years accumulated by a brewer once called a god, the philosophy of a world-renowned blender, and a shared wish for the rebirth of a homeland.

And with that story intact, it quietly makes its way to the next table. (Mr. Bacchus)

This article is intended solely to explore the brewing philosophy and cultural heritage of Noguchi Naohiko Kenkyujo and the Yume Zukuri brand, and does not aim to promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol. / บทความนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อนำเสนอข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับปรัชญาการผลิตและมรดกทางวัฒนธรรมของ Noguchi Naohiko Kenkyujo และแบรนด์ Yume Zukuri เท่านั้น มิได้มีเจตนาเพื่อส่งเสริมหรือโฆษณาเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้มีอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป โปรดดื่มอย่างรับผิดชอบ

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