The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › AKABU
No.78 · Brewery Profile
AKABU赤武 · Akabu Shuzo 赤武酒造
Akabu Shuzo’s original coastal brewery in Otsuchi, Iwate was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. Rebuilt inland in Morioka two years later, the so-called ‘Resurrection Brewery’ launched the AKABU label in 2014 with a deliberately fresh, contemporary style aimed at a new generation of drinkers, built on Iwate’s own Ginginga rice alongside classic Hyogo Yamada Nishiki.
Who makes AKABU?
Akabu Shuzo’s original coastal brewery in Otsuchi, Iwate was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. Rebuilt inland in Morioka two years later, the so-called “Resurrection Brewery” launched the AKABU label in 2014.
What does AKABU taste like?
Tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined, the flagship Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki brings ripe-melon aromatics at 4/5, the local-rice Junmai Ginjo Ginginga sits at 3/5 aromatic, and the Junmai Daiginjo Ginginga refines that same Iwate rice further, also at 3/5.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki, the flagship modern AKABU bottling, known for its ripe-melon aromatics.
How does AKABU compare to other Iwate breweries?
AKABU is the only Iwate brewery in this index tagged Aromatic & Fruity; prefecture-mates Asabiraki and Suisen are both tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp instead, making AKABU the fruitiest of Iwate’s lineup.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Akabu Shuzo called the “Resurrection Brewery”?
Its original coastal brewery in Otsuchi was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami; it was rebuilt inland in Morioka two years later.
When did the AKABU label launch?
2014, with a deliberately fresh, contemporary style aimed at a new generation of drinkers.
What rice does AKABU use?
Iwate’s own Ginginga rice alongside classic Hyogo Yamada Nishiki.
The bottles
Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki純米吟醸 山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Flagship modern AKABU bottling with ripe-melon aromatics.”
Junmai Ginjo Ginginga純米吟醸 吟ぎんが
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Made with local Iwate rice; award-winning at national appraisals.”
Junmai Daiginjo Ginginga純米大吟醸 吟ぎんが
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Refined daiginjo built on local Iwate rice.”
Reading the bars: an editorial flavor reading (0–5) of each bottle — Dry→Rich, Light→Full, Subtle→Aromatic, Low→High acidity — not laboratory values. The colored badge is the SSI four-type classification (薫酒 Kunshu · 爽酒 Soshu · 醇酒 Junshu · 熟酒 Jukushu). SMV and acidity appear only where the brewery publishes them.
Sources: nihonmono.jp · sakeculture.sg