The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Isojiman
No.13 · Brewery Profile
Isojiman磯自慢 · Isojiman Sake Brewery 磯自慢酒造
Founded around 1830 in the fishing port of Yaizu, Isojiman is prized for polished, understated daiginjo made from special-grade Yamada Nishiki grown in Hyogo’s Tojo district. Its sake was poured for world leaders at the 2008 G8 Toyako Summit and again at the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit.
Who makes Isojiman?
Isojiman Sake Brewery, founded around 1830 in the fishing port of Yaizu, Shizuoka. It is prized for polished, understated daiginjo made from special-grade Yamada Nishiki grown in Hyogo’s Tojo district, and its sake was poured for world leaders at the 2008 G8 Toyako Summit and the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit.
What does Isojiman taste like?
Tagged Elegant & Refined and Aromatic & Fruity, all four bottles score low on rich and full (2/5) but climb high on aromatic character, topping out at 5/5 for the Junmai Daiginjo Nakagumi 35. The Daiginjo and Junmai Ginjo are both described as elegant, smooth, and dry, while the Tokubetsu Honjozo is the crisper “classic” of the line.
Which bottle should you try first?
Try the Junmai Daiginjo Nakagumi 35, the bottle the tasting note singles out as poured at the 2008 G8 Toyako Summit toast — the most aromatic expression of the house’s special-grade Yamada Nishiki.
How does Isojiman compare to other Shizuoka breweries?
Isojiman is closest in profile to prefecture-mate Kaiun, which carries the identical Elegant & Refined and Aromatic & Fruity tags. Wakatake instead pairs Dry & Crisp with Elegant & Refined, and Hatsukame is tagged Elegant & Refined alone — both drier or narrower in range than Isojiman.
Frequently asked questions
Where was Isojiman poured for world leaders?
At the 2008 G8 Toyako Summit and again at the 2016 Ise-Shima Summit.
What rice does Isojiman use, and from where?
Special-grade Yamada Nishiki grown in Hyogo’s Tojo district.
How many bottles does Isojiman make on this page?
Four — Daiginjo, Junmai Daiginjo Nakagumi 35, Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki, and Tokubetsu Honjozo.
The bottles
Daiginjo大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Special-grade Hyogo Yamada Nishiki; elegant.”
Junmai Daiginjo Nakagumi 35純米大吟醸 中汲み35
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Poured at the 2008 G8 Toyako Summit toast.”
Junmai Ginjo Yamada Nishiki純米吟醸 山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Hyogo Yamada Nishiki; dry and smooth.”
Tokubetsu Honjozo特別本醸造
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Special-grade Yamada Nishiki; crisp classic.”
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: shizuoka-sake.jp