The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kouro
No.45 · Brewery Profile
Kouro香露 · Kumamoto Pref. Sake Research Institute 熊本県酒造研究所
Begun in 1909 to improve local sake, with Kinichi Nojiro — revered as a ‘god of sake brewing’ — as first technical director from 1919. Around 1952 it isolated the yeast adopted nationwide in 1968 as Association Yeast No.9 (the ‘Kumamoto yeast’). It still brews under the Kouro brand.
Who makes Kouro?
The Kumamoto Prefectural Sake Research Institute, begun in 1909 to improve local sake. Kinichi Nojiro, revered as a “god of sake brewing,” served as its first technical director from 1919, and around 1952 the institute isolated the yeast adopted nationwide in 1968 as Association Yeast No.9, the “Kumamoto yeast.” It still brews under the Kouro brand.
What does Kouro taste like?
Tagged Aromatic & Fruity and Elegant & Refined, Kouro’s Daiginjo is the most aromatic at a peak 5/5, milled to 38% at 17% ABV; the Junmai Ginjo follows at 4/5 aromatic with mild acidity; and the Tokubetsu Junmai is the gentlest, food-friendly bottle at 3/5 aromatic.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Daiginjo, described as “regarded as a benchmark model for ginjo sake” — the institute’s signature demonstration of the aromatic style it helped define nationwide.
How does Kouro compare to other Kumamoto breweries?
Kumamoto’s other listed breweries, Chiyonosono (Rich & Umami, Elegant & Refined) and Zuiyo (Aromatic & Fruity, Elegant & Refined), both share Kouro’s Elegant & Refined tag; Zuiyo matches Kouro’s full pairing exactly, while Chiyonosono leans toward richness instead of fragrance.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kouro’s connection to Association Yeast No.9?
The institute isolated it around 1952, and it was adopted nationwide in 1968 as the “Kumamoto yeast.”
Who was Kinichi Nojiro?
The institute’s first technical director from 1919, revered as a “god of sake brewing.”
How many bottles does Kouro make on this page?
Three: Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, and Tokubetsu Junmai.
The bottles
Daiginjo香露 大吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Regarded as a benchmark model for ginjo sake.”
Junmai Ginjo香露 純米吟醸
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Elegant aromatics with mild acidity.”
Tokubetsu Junmai香露 特別純米
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“A gentle, food-friendly junmai.”
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: kumamotoken-shuzoukenkyusho.com · kumamoto-sake.com