The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kagatobi
No.93 · Brewery Profile
Kagatobi加賀鳶 · Fukumitsuya 福光屋
Fukumitsuya, Kanazawa’s oldest sake house, has brewed since 1625 and declared itself all-junmai in 2001, refusing any added distilled alcohol across its entire range. Kagatobi, its flagship, is named for the Kagatobi — the elite Edo-period firefighting brigade that guarded the Kaga clan’s Edo residence — and built around rich umami balanced by a crisp, dry finish, from locally contracted rice grown under the brewery’s own farming partnerships since 1960.
Who makes Kagatobi?
Fukumitsuya, Kanazawa’s oldest sake house, has brewed since 1625 and declared itself all-junmai in 2001, refusing any added distilled alcohol across its entire range. Its Kagatobi flagship is named for the Kagatobi, the elite Edo-period firefighting brigade that guarded the Kaga clan’s Edo residence.
What does Kagatobi taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined, the range spans kunshu (fragrant) and junshu (rich) SSI styles built around locally contracted rice grown under the brewery’s own farming partnerships since 1960. The Ikazuchi Issen is the top-tier expression of the Ikazuchi sub-line; the Kissho Junmai Daiginjo won gold at Kura Master 2022; the Yamahai Junmai Chokarakuchi is an extra-dry yamahai style that took Platinum at Kura Master 2020.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Ikazuchi Issen, described as the top-tier expression in the Ikazuchi (“thunder”) sub-line, at 35% milling.
How does Kagatobi compare to other Ishikawa breweries?
Kagatobi shares Ishikawa’s dominant Rich & Umami tag with prefecture-mates Tedorigawa, Kikuhime, and Tengumai; its Elegant & Refined side lines up specifically with Tedorigawa, while Tengumai instead pairs its umami with an Acidity-driven edge.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kagatobi refer to?
The Kagatobi, an elite Edo-period firefighting brigade that guarded the Kaga clan’s residence in Edo.
When did Fukumitsuya go all-junmai?
In 2001, when it declared it would use no added distilled alcohol across its entire range.
Has Kagatobi won any competition awards?
Yes — the Kissho Junmai Daiginjo won gold at Kura Master 2022, and the Yamahai Junmai Chokarakuchi took Platinum at Kura Master 2020.
The bottles
Ikazuchi Issenいかづち 一閃
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Top-tier expression in the Ikazuchi (‘thunder’) sub-line.”
Kissho Junmai Daiginjo吉祥 純米大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Won a Gold Award at Kura Master 2022.”
Yamahai Junmai Chokarakuchi山廃純米 超辛口
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Extra-dry yamahai style; Platinum at Kura Master 2020.”
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: fukumitsuya.co.jp · saketime.jp