The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Juyondai
No.04 · Brewery Profile
Juyondai十四代 · Takagi Shuzo 高木酒造
In the mid-1990s a young heir, Takagi Akitsuna, broke from Niigata’s bone-dry fashion with a lush, fragrant, gently sweet style that redrew the map of what sake could taste like. Made in tiny volumes, Juyondai became the most sought-after — and most imitated — cult label in Japan.
Who makes Juyondai?
Takagi Shuzo, founded in 1615 in Yamagata. In the mid-1990s, young heir Takagi Akitsuna broke from Niigata’s bone-dry fashion with a lush, fragrant, gently sweet style, made in tiny volumes — turning Juyondai into Japan’s most sought-after, and most imitated, cult label.
What does Juyondai taste like?
Tagged Aromatic & Fruity, all three bottles skew rich and fragrant rather than dry. The breakout flagship Honmaru Hiden Tamagaeshi is aromatic, rich and balanced; Ryu no Otoshigo pushes furthest into fresh, fruity sweetness at 5/5 aromatic; and the unfiltered Nakadori Junmai Muroka is mellow, sweet and aromatic.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with Honmaru Hiden Tamagaeshi, explicitly described as the breakout flagship that redrew the map of what sake could taste like.
How does Juyondai compare to other Yamagata breweries?
Juyondai shares its Aromatic & Fruity tag with prefecture-mates Dewazakura and Kudoki Jozu, while others in Yamagata lean differently: Yamagata Masamune is tagged Dry & Crisp and Elegant & Refined, a much drier profile than Juyondai’s fragrant sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
When was Takagi Shuzo founded?
In 1615, in Yamagata.
How many bottles does Juyondai make on this page?
Three — Honmaru Hiden Tamagaeshi (Tokubetsu Honjozo), Ryu no Otoshigo (Junmai Daiginjo), and Nakadori Junmai Muroka (Junmai Ginjo).
Who is credited with creating the modern Juyondai style?
Takagi Akitsuna, the young heir who took over in the mid-1990s and moved away from the era’s bone-dry trend toward a lush, fragrant, gently sweet style.
The bottles
Honmaru Hiden Tamagaeshi本丸 秘伝玉返し
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“The breakout flagship; aromatic, rich, balanced.”
Ryu no Otoshigo龍の落とし子 純米大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Fresh, fruity, with refined sweetness.”
Nakadori Junmai Muroka中取り純米 無濾過
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Unfiltered, mellow, sweet and aromatic.”
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: city.murayama.lg.jp · sakenomy.jp