The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Izumibashi
No.30 · Brewery Profile
Izumibashiいづみ橋 · Izumi Shuzo 泉橋酒造
Founded in 1857 in Ebina, Kanagawa, Izumibashi grows and mills its own sake rice locally and switched entirely to junmai in 2006. The red dragonfly on its labels symbolizes the low-pesticide paddies around the brewery.
Who makes Izumibashi?
Izumi Shuzo, founded in 1857 in Ebina, Kanagawa. The brewery grows and mills its own sake rice locally and switched entirely to junmai production in 2006. The red dragonfly on its labels symbolizes the low-pesticide paddies surrounding the brewery.
What does Izumibashi taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined, Izumibashi ranges from the deeply milled, fragrant Junmai Daiginjo TONBO20 (4/5 aromatic) to the savory, structured Kurotonbo Kimoto Junmai (4/5 for both richness and body, 4/5 acidity), with the Blue Label Junmai Ginjo sitting in between at a balanced 3/5 across the board.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Blue Label Junmai Ginjo, described as “the everyday dragonfly-label junmai ginjo” — the brewery’s standard entry point before the deeply milled TONBO20 or the savory, kimoto-brewed Kurotonbo.
How does Izumibashi compare to other Kanagawa breweries?
Kanagawa’s other listed brewery, Tensei, is tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp. Izumibashi shares the Elegant & Refined tag but pairs it with Rich & Umami instead, giving it a fuller, more savory profile than Tensei’s crisper style.
Frequently asked questions
When did Izumibashi switch entirely to junmai sake?
In 2006.
What does the red dragonfly on Izumibashi’s labels represent?
The low-pesticide rice paddies surrounding the brewery in Ebina, Kanagawa.
How many bottles does Izumibashi make on this page?
Three: Junmai Daiginjo TONBO20, Blue Label Junmai Ginjo, and Kurotonbo Kimoto Junmai.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo TONBO20純米大吟醸 とんぼ20
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Estate Ebina Yamada Nishiki milled to 20%.”
Blue Label Junmai Ginjo恵 青ラベル 純米吟醸
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“The everyday dragonfly-label junmai ginjo.”
Kurotonbo Kimoto Junmai黒とんぼ 生酛 純米
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Kimoto-brewed; savory and structured.”
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: izumibashi.com · nippon.com