The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kakurei
No.109 · Brewery Profile
Kakurei鶴齢 · Aoki Shuzo 青木酒造
In the deep-snow town of Shiozawa, where winter snowfall can bury the streets six meters deep, Aoki Shuzo has brewed for over 300 years. Rather than chase Niigata’s usual bone-dry ideal, the house pursues ‘tanrei umakuchi’ — clean, but rich with real rice character — a style distinctive enough that Kakurei’s daiginjo was chosen to pour in Japan Airlines’ international business class.
Who makes Kakurei?
Aoki Shuzo, founded in 1717 in Shiozawa, Niigata — a deep-snow town where winter snowfall can bury the streets six meters deep. The house has brewed there for over 300 years.
What does Kakurei taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined, pursuing “tanrei umakuchi” — clean but rich with real rice character — rather than Niigata’s usual bone-dry ideal. The Junmai Daiginjo (Koshitanrei rice, floral/fruity, poured in JAL business class from 2015) rates rich 3/5, while the more highly milled Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki 37 turns more aromatic (4/5).
Which bottle should you try first?
The Junmai Daiginjo is the natural starting point — smooth and well-balanced, and the bottle chosen to represent the brand in JAL’s international business class since 2015.
How does Kakurei compare to other Niigata breweries?
Kakurei’s Rich & Umami character stands apart from Niigata mainstays Kubota and Hakkaisan, both tagged Dry & Crisp; it shares more common ground with Imayotsukasa, another Rich & Umami, Elegant & Refined prefecture-mate.
Frequently asked questions
What style does Kakurei brew, compared to typical Niigata sake?
Rather than Niigata’s usual bone-dry style, Kakurei pursues “tanrei umakuchi” — clean, but rich with real rice character.
Has any Kakurei sake been served internationally?
Yes — its Junmai Daiginjo was chosen to be poured in Japan Airlines’ international business class beginning in 2015.
How long has Aoki Shuzo been brewing?
Since 1717, in the deep-snow town of Shiozawa, where winter snowfall can bury the streets six meters deep.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo純米大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Smooth and well-balanced with floral/fruity aromas; served in JAL business class from 2015.”
Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki 37純米大吟醸 山田錦37
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Highly polished, aromatic expression with a gentle taste.”
Yukiotoko Junmai雪男 純米酒
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Dry, tanrei-karakuchi style; the brewery’s second signature label.”
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: kakurei.co.jp · niigata-sake.or.jp