The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Chiyonosono
No.131 · Brewery Profile
Chiyonosono千代の園 · Chiyonosono Shuzo 千代の園酒造
Founded by rice wholesaler Honda Kikuhachi in 1896, Chiyonosono Shuzo relaunched dedicated junmai brewing under its Shuhai label in 1968 — years ahead of the broader industry’s postwar junmai revival. The Yamaga, Kumamoto brewery even bred its own rice, Kyushu Shinriki, mills all its grain in-house, and has picked up four consecutive platinum awards at France’s Kura Master competition in the junmai category.
Who makes Chiyonosono?
Chiyonosono Shuzo was founded by rice wholesaler Honda Kikuhachi in 1896 in Yamaga, Kumamoto. In 1968 the brewery relaunched dedicated junmai brewing under its Shuhai label, years ahead of the broader industry’s postwar junmai revival, and it bred its own rice variety, Kyushu Shinriki, milling all its grain in-house.
What does Chiyonosono taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined. The flagship Junmai and the Shuhai Junmai both rate 3/5 on body with minimal aromatics (1/5), reflecting a rich, umami-forward style, while the Excel Daiginjo, a bottle-aged, cork-sealed daiginjo, opens up to 3/5 aromatic for a more fragrant, refined edge.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Junmai, described as the flagship label with multiple national new-sake competition awards, before trying the historically significant Shuhai Junmai, launched in 1968 to revive junmai brewing at the kura.
How does Chiyonosono compare to other Kumamoto breweries?
Kumamoto also lists Kouro, tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined, and Zuiyo, also tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined. Chiyonosono is the prefecture’s only Rich & Umami entry, leaning into fuller, umami-driven junmai styles where its peers favor fragrance.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Chiyonosono Shuzo?
Rice wholesaler Honda Kikuhachi founded the brewery in 1896.
What is significant about the Shuhai Junmai label?
It launched in 1968 and is credited with reviving dedicated junmai brewing at the kura, years ahead of the industry’s broader postwar junmai revival.
Does Chiyonosono use its own rice variety?
Yes — the brewery bred its own rice, Kyushu Shinriki, and mills all its grain in-house.
The bottles
Junmai純米酒
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Flagship label; multiple national new-sake competition awards.”
Shuhai Junmai酒仙 純米酒
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Launched 1968, credited with reviving junmai brewing at the kura.”
Excel Daiginjoエクセル 大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Bottle-aged daiginjo using cork-sealed bottles.”
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: ja.wikipedia.org · kumamoto-sake.com