Daimon Brewery, a craft sake brewery established in 1826, today announced that it will unveil a new limited-edition series called the Toji Series.
Toji (杜氏) is the Japanese name for the Sake Master Brewer, and this series is a tribute to the many Toji’s that have brought their knowledge and experiences to Daimon Brewery and the sake industry. We are very blessed with having a Master Toji, a Toji, and a Toji apprentice all working together at the same time at our brewery. This new Sake Series represents the blending of different generations of artists and honors those who have taught us this ancient craft, and has been produced by blending some of Daimon Brewery’s rich koshu (aged sake) with a batch of top-grade award-winning Junmai Daiginjo – thus bringing together the skills of the Toji’s of today and yesteryear.
The Product: The Toji Series Edition 1 (Vintage 1999 BY02)
This is Osaka’s first Limited Edition Koshu blend. Carefully blending the 4-time Gold Medal champion Daimon 35 with a 22-year-old koshu has enabled Daimon Brewery to launch this very special and limited sake. The product comes in a beautiful white ‘swing-top’ bottle and is presented in a wooden cedar box, with each bottle individually numbered. It is ready to be enjoyed immediately or can be aged further in the bottle. The sake should be kept like a fine wine for proper aging. After enjoying the sake, the bottle and box will be an irreplaceable collectible to keep.
Due to the scarcity of the 22-year-old koshu, the production volume for Vintage 1999 BY02 is limited to 1,000 bottles for the first year’s release.
Yasutaka Daimon (the sixth generation Kuramoto and Master Brewer of the Brewery) said, “The Toji Series is a representation of the true core of Daimon Brewery – Umami. It is a powerhouse of a sake with outstanding delicious proportions. It celebrates the skills and techniques of the many Toji’s that have guided Daimon Brewery, and is a homage to the long history of sake-making. “The Toji Series Vintage 1999 BY02” is the first of the Toji Series by Daimon Brewery.”
The Taste
On the nose, it has a beautiful aroma with a faint Matsutake mushroom aroma and hints of charcuterie. In the mouth, it starts off sweet with an umami forward palate, and the complexity of flavors then evolves to bring a mature umami roundness with hints of minerality and a deliciously cured egg yolk flavor. A cascading long finish that allows you to enjoy it alone, or with the finest of Japan’s cuisine.
The Toji Series is designed to be served in a white wine glass. It can be paired with food such as grilled meats, mushrooms, deli meats, stronger flavored cheese, or as a digestif (to be enjoyed in a whisky tumbler as an after-meal drink).
The Technical Details
– Blended sake vintages 1999 and 2021
– Rice: Hyogo Yamada Nishiki
– Milling Rate: Under 50%
– Acidity: 2.1
– Alcohol Content: 18%
– Sake Meter Value: -5
– Area: Osaka (大阪府)
– Sake classification: Rich
– Serving Temperature: 13°C to 25°C
The first bottle (bottle number 0001 of 1000) will be sold at the upcoming auction by Sotheby’s on 24 February 2022.
[divider]About Daimon Brewery [/divider]
Daimon Brewery was established in 1826 in the ancestral hunting grounds of the Japanese Imperial Family – the Ikoma mountain range. For 200 years, Daimon Brewery has been continually brewing this special Sake of the Kansai region. Being nestled between Kyoto, Osaka and Nara has always been the Brewry’s secret – It has provided the Brewery with some of the best water in Japan. Now, Daimon Brewrey is the only Brewery in the region still producing Sake with flowing mountain water – the core of the Brewery’s spirit.
Over the centuries, Daimon Brewery has developed a strong focus on small batch, hand-crafted production. The Brewery utilizes the Ginjo method for all of their production, even for the non-Ginjo Graded Sake, by developing the Sake at low temperatures with extended fermentation periods. In addition, the focus on Small Batch production means that all the rice preparation is done in small batches. Washing, soaking, steaming are all done with the greatest attention to details.
Water, Rice, Skill and People are written on the entrance gate of the Brewery and tells the story. The Daimon Range of Sake represents both the passion to make the highest quality Sake and the belief that through the “BIG GATE”, one can enter “OMIKI” – the sacred world of Sake.
Terry Bunch
