The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Suisen
No.87 · Brewery Profile
Suisen酔仙 · Suisen Shuzo 酔仙酒造
Suisen traces to a 1944 wartime merger of eight breweries in Iwate’s Kesen district, and for decades brewed with water from Mt. Hikami in Rikuzentakata. The March 2011 tsunami destroyed the original kura entirely; the company rebuilt in nearby Ofunato and was brewing again within eighteen months. Its commemorative Kiseki no Ippon Matsu, named for the solitary pine that survived the wave, ties the brewery’s recovery directly into the bottle.
Who makes Suisen?
Suisen Shuzo formed in 1944 from a wartime merger of eight breweries in Iwate’s Kesen district, brewing for decades on water from Mt. Hikami in Rikuzentakata. The March 2011 tsunami destroyed the original kura entirely; the company rebuilt in nearby Ofunato and was brewing again within eighteen months, a recovery memorialized in its Kiseki no Ippon Matsu bottling.
What does Suisen taste like?
Tagged Elegant & Refined and Dry & Crisp, Suisen’s range sits in kunshu (fragrant) and soshu (light, smooth) SSI territory. The Junmai Daiginjo Hosho is full-bodied with deep flavor at SMV -3, the commemorative Kiseki no Ippon Matsu leans drier at SMV +4, and the standard Junmai Ginjo rounds out the core lineup as a lighter, more approachable style.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Junmai Daiginjo Hosho, listed first among the three and the highest-grade of the group at 40% milling, with a full-bodied, deep-flavored character at SMV -3.
How does Suisen compare to other Iwate breweries?
Suisen shares Iwate’s dominant Elegant & Refined tag with prefecture-mates Nanbu Bijin and Asabiraki, and its Dry & Crisp side echoes Asabiraki too; AKABU stands apart with an Aromatic & Fruity accent instead.
Frequently asked questions
How did Suisen come to be founded?
It formed in 1944 when eight breweries in Iwate’s Kesen district merged during wartime.
What happened to Suisen’s original brewery?
The March 2011 tsunami destroyed it entirely; the company rebuilt in nearby Ofunato and resumed brewing within eighteen months.
What does the Kiseki no Ippon Matsu bottle commemorate?
It’s named for the “Miracle Pine,” the single tree that survived the tsunami, tying the brewery’s recovery to the bottle.
The bottles
Junmai Daiginjo Hosho純米大吟醸 鳳翔
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Full-bodied with deep flavor.”
Kiseki no Ippon Matsu奇跡の一本松
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Commemorative ginjo named for the tsunami-surviving ‘Miracle Pine’.”
Junmai Ginjo純米吟醸
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Standard junmai ginjo offering in the core lineup.”
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: suisenshuzo.jp · chilledmagazine.com