The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Momokawa
No.103 · Brewery Profile
Momokawa桃川 · Momokawa Co. 桃川
Momokawa, Aomori’s largest sake producer, traces to 1889 when Kuramatsu Murai founded a brewery on the Oirase River, whose water still feeds every tank today from 250 meters underground. A 1944 wartime merger and a 1984 reorganization later, the company remains run by the Murai family, and its flagship Omatsu daiginjo has picked up medals at Kura Master and the International Wine Challenge.
Who makes Momokawa?
Momokawa, Aomori’s largest sake producer, traces to 1889 when Kuramatsu Murai founded a brewery on the Oirase River, whose water still feeds every tank today from 250 meters underground. A 1944 wartime merger and a 1984 reorganization later, the company remains run by the Murai family.
What does Momokawa taste like?
Tagged solely Elegant & Refined, the range is split between kunshu (fragrant) daiginjo and a soshu (light, smooth) everyday junmai. The flagship Daiginjo Junmai Omatsu has picked up medals at Kura Master and the International Wine Challenge; the Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki is a premium daiginjo built on the same highly polished rice; the Junmai-shu is a lighter, slightly dry everyday style.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Daiginjo Junmai Omatsu, the flagship, award-winning daiginjo sold in a paulownia box.
How does Momokawa compare to other Aomori breweries?
Momokawa’s Elegant & Refined tag is shared by prefecture-mate Houhai, which adds an Aromatic & Fruity accent Momokawa doesn’t carry; Denshu sits apart, tagged Rich & Umami instead.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Momokawa and when?
Kuramatsu Murai, in 1889, on the Oirase River in Aomori.
What water does Momokawa brew with?
Water from 250 meters underground on the Oirase River, still feeding every tank today.
Has Momokawa’s flagship won any awards?
Yes — the Daiginjo Junmai Omatsu has picked up medals at Kura Master and the International Wine Challenge.
The bottles
Daiginjo Junmai Omatsu大吟醸純米酒 王松
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Flagship award-winning daiginjo, sold in a paulownia box.”
Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki大吟醸 山田錦
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Premium daiginjo built around highly polished Yamada Nishiki.”
Junmai-shu純米酒
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Everyday junmai with a light, slightly dry profile.”
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: momokawa.co.jp · sakeinternational.org