The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Wakatake
No.111 · Brewery Profile
Wakatake若竹 · Omuraya Shuzojo 大村屋酒造場
Omuraya Shuzojo, on the old Tokaido post town of Shimada-juku, nearly closed around 1970 before reviving its fortunes with a dry, punchy sake named Wakatake Onikoroshi — ‘demon killer.’ The comeback held: hand-made koji, even for the everyday grades, and Shizuoka’s own yeast strains now underpin a range running from that original dry classic up to the premium daiginjo Onna Nakase.
Who makes Wakatake?
Omuraya Shuzojo, founded in 1832 in Shimada-juku, an old Tokaido post town in Shizuoka. The brewery nearly closed around 1970 before reviving its fortunes with a dry, punchy sake named Wakatake Onikoroshi — “demon killer.”
What does Wakatake taste like?
Tagged Dry & Crisp and Elegant & Refined. The original Onikoroshi Junmai is the driest of the range (dry 1/5, aromatic 1/5), hand-made koji even at this everyday grade; the Premium Junmai Daiginjo and Onna Nakase move into more aromatic territory (3/5) using Homarefuji rice and Shizuoka’s own yeast strains.
Which bottle should you try first?
Start with the Onikoroshi Junmai, the brewery’s original comeback bottle and house signature, before moving up to the Premium Junmai Daiginjo and the premium follow-up Onna Nakase.
How does Wakatake compare to other Shizuoka breweries?
Wakatake’s Dry & Crisp edge sets it apart from Shizuoka mainstays like Isojiman and Kaiun, both tagged Aromatic & Fruity; it shares more in common with Shosetsu, another Dry & Crisp, Elegant & Refined prefecture-mate.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Wakatake Onikoroshi mean?
“Onikoroshi” means “demon killer,” the name given to the dry, punchy sake that revived the brewery’s fortunes around 1970.
Does Omuraya Shuzojo hand-make its koji?
Yes — even its everyday-grade sake, including the Onikoroshi Junmai, is made with hand-made koji.
What rice and yeast go into the Premium Junmai Daiginjo?
It’s brewed with Homarefuji rice and one of Shizuoka’s own yeast strains.
The bottles
Onikoroshi Junmai鬼ごろし 純米
爽酒 Soshu · Light & Smooth“Dry, crisp house signature said to revive a historic Shimada-juku sake.”
Onna Nakase女泣かせ
薫酒 Kunshu · Fragrant“Premium follow-up brand credited with the brewery’s comeback.”
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: urbansake.com · shizuoka-sake.jp