Aizu Chujo Junmai Daigijo Tokujoshu
A castle town brewery, preserving history and inheriting craftsmanship.
This venerable brewery with over 200 years of history is rooted in the local community, with its Aizu craftspeople protecting traditional flavors using age-old techniques. In recent years, it has also embraced the challenge of new sake brewing led by a female master brewer. The sake crafted by Hiromitsu Maejima, who took over as Toji (master brewer) in 2021, won the Governor's Award at the Fukushima Prefecture Sake Appraisal in both 2022 and 2023. This is a brewery of great interest, where one can savor sake woven from both the ancient and the modern.
The brewery's roots trace back to the early Edo period. Its ancestor was a samurai who entered Aizu alongside the feudal lord, Masayuki Hoshina. The company name itself evokes this history: "Tsuru" (crane) represents Tsuruga Castle, and "Noe" (inlet) represents Lake Inawashiro. It exudes the pride of a brewery representing Aizu. "To see the 'face' of the sake." This is the company's brewing philosophy. It means to relentlessly watch over the changes in the sake, which is seen as a living entity. One can understand its essence by tasting the flagship brand "Aizuchuujou," which boasts an elegant and profound flavor.
The eldest daughter of the seventh-generation head, Hayashi Heihachiro, Yuri, is a master brewer. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Agriculture's Department of Brewing, she holds a qualification as a Sake Brewing Skills Technician. Working alongside her mother, Keiko, who holds the same qualification, she created the sake "Yuri."
It has gained acclaim and popularity as "a sake recommended for women, made by women." She actively travels outside the prefecture for tasting events, listening to the voices of consumers. Yuri speaks of her ambition: "I want to create sake that offers a moment of healing, a comforting drink for the end of the day."
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