The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Asabiraki
No.77 · Brewery Profile
Asabirakiあさ開 · Asabiraki Co. あさ開
Founded in 1871 by a former Nanbu-clan samurai turned sake merchant, Asahiraki brews in Morioka using Daijishimizu, its own on-site spring water officially ranked among Japan’s 100 best. The brewery follows the clean, umami-driven Nanbu toji tradition, and its ultra-polished Migaki Niwarihachibu — milled to just 28% — sits at the top of a lineup that runs down to an everyday dry table junmai.
Who makes Asabiraki?
A former Nanbu-clan samurai turned sake merchant founded Asabiraki in 1871, and it still brews in Morioka, Iwate today, using Daijishimizu, its own on-site spring water officially ranked among Japan’s 100 best.
What does Asabiraki taste like?
Tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp, the lineup runs from the ultra-polished, 4/5-aromatic Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwarihachibu, milled to just 28%, down through a dry everyday Junmai Ginjo Shiro Label at 1/5 aromatic, to a standard Junmaishu marketed as dry and umami-rich.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwarihachibu, the ultra-polished flagship daiginjo that sits at the top of the brewery’s lineup, milled down to 28% remaining.
How does Asabiraki compare to other Iwate breweries?
Asabiraki shares both its tags with fellow Iwate brewery Suisen, while prefecture-mate AKABU leans toward Aromatic & Fruity instead of Asabiraki’s Dry & Crisp side.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Asabiraki and when?
A former Nanbu-clan samurai turned sake merchant founded the brewery in 1871.
What water does Asabiraki use?
Daijishimizu, its own on-site spring water, officially ranked among Japan’s 100 best.
Which is the brewery’s most highly polished bottle?
The Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwarihachibu, milled down to just 28% remaining, at the top of a lineup that runs to an everyday table junmai.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwarihachibu純米大吟醸 磨き二割八分
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Ultra-polished flagship daiginjo milled down to 28% remaining.”
Junmai Ginjo Shiro Label純米吟醸 白ラベル
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“A dry, everyday junmai ginjo made with Hitomebore rice.”
Junmaishu純米酒
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Standard junmai marketed as a dry, umami-rich table sake.”
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: asabiraki-net.jp