SHICHIKEN Furinbizan Junmai

Polished to 70%, drawing out a clear umami

This junmai sake is brewed with Hitogokochi and Asahinoyume rice grown by contract farmers in Hokuto City, polished to 70%. Even with much of the rice grain’s outer layer left intact, Hakushu’s soft water and a long, low-temperature fermentation keep this sake from turning heavy or rough.

It is pasteurised and available year-round, at 15% ABV. This bottling is a separate product from the nama (unpasteurised) sake released seasonally under the same name, and is introduced here as the brewery’s standard junmai.

Rice’s fullness, in a crisp dry style

A gentle fruit aroma recalls pear, apple, citrus and nectarine. Rice umami and a grainy character spread through the mouth, though Hakushu’s water keeps the texture soft. The finish is crisp and refreshing, with a slightly dry contour.

Its pear and nectarine notes stay gentle against the grain-driven, slightly dry core.

The water of Hakushu, and the Shichiken name carried forward

Yamanashi Meijo was founded in 1750 in Daigahara, Hakushu-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The brewery draws its brewing water from the subsoil flow of Mount Kaikomagatake in the Southern Alps, and gentle fermentation shapes a soft, clear character in its sake.

The name “Shichiken” comes from a transom carving of the “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,” presented in 1835 by the lord of Takato Castle. In 1880, the brewery’s main house served as a lodging for Emperor Meiji during his travels. Carrying forward this historic building and its water, the brewery has since broadened its range to include junmai sake, bottle-fermented sparkling sake, and spirits distilled from its own sake lees.

Official brewery website→

Verified international recognition

Listed only where the official Kura Master record and the designated consolidated report match this exact product name. Other labels and variants are excluded, and IWC’s Commended distinction is not treated as a medal.

Toward the fullness of rice, and a crisp cut of acidity

We have not found a published food pairing from the brewery. What follows are four directions read from the aromas and taste structure that can be confirmed: a gentle fruit aroma recalling pear, apple, citrus and nectarine, rice umami with a grainy character, and a soft texture with a crisp, refreshing finish.

Even at a 70% polishing ratio, long, low-temperature fermentation with Hakushu’s soft water keeps roughness in check, holding grain umami and clarity together. The directions above are a reading of that structure.

Pairing guide — Sake →

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