The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kamoizumi
No.145 · Brewery Profile
Kamoizumi賀茂泉 · Kamoizumi Shuzo 賀茂泉酒造
Kamoizumi Shuzo began researching pure rice (junmai) brewing in 1965 — years before junmai existed as a recognized commercial category — and released Honshikomi Kamoizumi in 1971, one of the earliest commercial junmai sake in the country. That pioneering instinct still shapes the house style: unfiltered, additive-free brewing built on Hiroshima’s own Hattan Nishiki and Nakate Shinsenbon rice as much as on Yamada Nishiki, aimed at preserving natural umami rather than polishing it away.
Who makes Kamoizumi?
Kamoizumi Shuzo, founded in Hiroshima in 1912, began researching pure rice (junmai) brewing in 1965 — years before junmai existed as a recognized commercial category — and released Honshikomi Kamoizumi in 1971, one of the earliest commercial junmai sake in the country.
What does Kamoizumi taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined, brewed unfiltered and additive-free on Hiroshima’s own Hattan Nishiki and Nakate Shinsenbon rice as much as Yamada Nishiki. The flagship Kamoizumi Junmai Ginjo Shusen Honshikomi, unfiltered with no carbon filtration, rates 4/5 on both dryness and body; the Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo Kotobuki and Enju, both made with Yamada Nishiki, are more aromatic at 3–4/5.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Kamoizumi Junmai Ginjo Shusen Honshikomi, explicitly described as the flagship, unfiltered to preserve the sake’s natural umami.
How does Kamoizumi compare to other Hiroshima breweries?
Hiroshima also lists Kamotsuru, tagged Elegant & Refined, Taketsuru, tagged Rich & Umami and Dry & Crisp, and Fukucho, tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined. Kamoizumi shares the Rich & Umami thread with Taketsuru and the Elegant & Refined thread with Kamotsuru and Fukucho, sitting at the intersection of Hiroshima’s styles.
Frequently asked questions
When did Kamoizumi begin researching junmai brewing?
In 1965, years before junmai existed as a recognized commercial sake category.
What was Honshikomi Kamoizumi?
Released in 1971, it was one of the earliest commercial junmai sake in Japan.
What rice does Kamoizumi’s flagship use?
Hattan Nishiki and Nakate Shinsenbon, both grown in Hiroshima.
The bottles
Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo Kotobuki賀茂泉 純米大吟醸 壽
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Premium junmai daiginjo from Yamada Nishiki grown in the Zoka district.”
Kamoizumi Junmai Ginjo Shusen Honshikomi賀茂泉 純米吟醸 朱泉本仕込
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“Unfiltered — no carbon filtration — to preserve natural umami; the flagship.”
Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo Enju賀茂泉 純米大吟醸 延寿
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“A Hiroshima-grown Yamada Nishiki junmai daiginjo.”
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: kamoizumi.co.jp · sakeworld.jp · ja.wikipedia.org