The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Keigetsu
No.128 · Brewery Profile
Keigetsu桂月 · Tosa Shuzo 土佐酒造
Tosa Shuzo, founded in 1877 in the mountains of northern Kochi, breaks sharply from the prefecture’s famously dry local style. Named for Meiji-Taisho writer Ohmachi Keigetsu, the brand built its own aromatic yeast, CEL-24, to coax out banana, pineapple and mango notes rarely associated with Kochi sake — a house style so distinctive it picked up gold at the International Wine Challenge in 2019.
Who makes Keigetsu?
Tosa Shuzo, founded in 1877 in the mountains of northern Kochi. Named for Meiji-Taisho writer Ohmachi Keigetsu, the brewery broke from Kochi’s famously dry local style by developing its own aromatic house yeast, CEL-24, to draw out fruit notes rarely associated with the prefecture — an approach that won gold at the International Wine Challenge in 2019.
What does Keigetsu taste like?
Tagged Aromatic & Fruity, the house style leans on CEL-24 yeast for pronounced banana, pineapple and mango notes. The CEL24 Junmai Daiginjo 50 rates 5/5 on the aromatic axis with a gentle SMV of -4.0, while the Extra-Brut Tokubetsu Junmai 60 swings to a very dry SMV of +11, showing the range’s other extreme.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the CEL24 Junmai Daiginjo 50, the bottle built around the brewery’s signature CEL-24 yeast and its pineapple, mango and banana aromatics — the clearest expression of what sets Keigetsu apart from other Kochi sake.
How does Keigetsu compare to other Kochi breweries?
Kochi is home to several dry, crisp-leaning houses — Tsukasabotan and Tosatsuru are both tagged Dry & Crisp, and Suigei pairs Dry & Crisp with Rich & Umami. Keigetsu stands apart as the prefecture’s sole Aromatic & Fruity entry, trading Kochi’s usual austerity for fruit-forward, yeast-driven aromatics.
Frequently asked questions
What inspired the name Keigetsu?
The brand is named for Ohmachi Keigetsu, a Meiji-Taisho era writer, chosen by Tosa Shuzo to represent the brewery’s identity.
What makes Keigetsu’s aromatics distinctive?
The brewery developed its own house yeast, CEL-24, specifically to produce banana, pineapple and mango notes rarely found in Kochi sake.
How many bottles does Keigetsu make?
Two on this page: the CEL24 Junmai Daiginjo 50 and the very dry Extra-Brut Tokubetsu Junmai 60.
The bottles
CEL24 Junmai Daiginjo 50CEL24 純米大吟醸50
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Aromatic pineapple, mango and banana notes from house CEL-24 yeast.”
Extra-Brut Tokubetsu Junmai 60超辛口 特別純米60
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Very dry style contrasting with the brewery’s fruitier lines.”
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: keigetsu.co.jp