Konishi Shuzo - Shurayuki "Clear Sky" Honjozo

Summary

Oldest brewery owned by a single family (1550). Produce sake all year round and release innovative and creative sake under the brand name Konishi.

Sake Profile

Having been brewing sake for so long, Konishi Shuzo have a wide range of sake. Tengu Sake imports two from their experimental Konishi brand.

Brewery History & Profile

Founded in 1550, Konishi Shuzo has the honour of being the oldest sake brewery owned and managed by the same family, the Konishi family. Hyogo Prefecture is renowned as being one of the most important sake producing regions in Japan and the Konishi family first started making sake in Itami as a side-line to selling medicine; they were the first to start producing clear sake (an accidental discovery, made when ash was mistakenly dropped into a fresh batch!) Itami’s importance as a sake-producing area grew during the late 16th and 17th century, especially once the capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo), to meet this demand the Konishi family launched a shipping company to swiftly transport their sake directly to Edo. Throughout history, the Konishi family have been on the forefront of sake production and innovation. Early adoption of new technology and methodology has allowed them to remain one of the most popular breweries in Japan. Their flagship brand - Shirayuki - is well known, but it is their new brand (since 2012) which goes under the family name - Konishi - that is reserved for their latest innovations, where they bring 450 years of brewing expertise to bear. Tengu Sake is delighted to bring two Konishi branded products to the UK.

Water & Rice

Having been an area renowned for sake production for hundreds of years, it is safe to say that Itami has an excellent water supply. Konishi uses soft, river-bed water fed from Rokko & Nagao mountains. A large brewery like Konishi Shuzo requires large quantities of rice. They has forged close relationship with a number of agricultural co-operatives to ensure a reliable supply of quality rice. Before each shipment a sample is ordered & tested.

Location & Climate

Hyogo Prefecture is an extremely famous and historic sake producing area. A good supply of fresh water, proximity to Kyoto and access to the sea for shipping to Edo have all had their part to play in establishing this area. Historically, long and cold winters have made this area good for brewing; however, with its state-of-the-art year-round brewing facility this is no longer a concern for Konishi Shuzo.

,

Winning a Trophy at the International Wine Challenge is no mean feat, of 1499 entries in 2020, only 9 Trophies were awarded (0.6%).

‘Morohaku’ – the practice of using polished rice for both koji and kake-mai – is, of course, commonplace now but it was developed in the Muromachi Period (1338-1573) in Nara Prefecture during a period of time where many advances in sake brewing were innovated by monks in their monasteries. It only, however, became widespread in the early 17th century when The Itami Morohaku style of sake, hailing from Itami in Hyogo Prefecture, became famous and was revered for its low but refreshing acidity and clear (as opposed to cloudy) appearance.

Itami was a powerhouse of sake production before the now-famous Nada area in Hyogo Prefecture that continues to dominate sake production to this day. This evolution was partly to do with the fact that Nada’s many waterways could power waterwheels for milling and, since the morohaku style required much polishing, it was natural for Nada’s water-driven polishing abilities to win superiority.

Clear Sky has sumptuous banana, red apple, bread & sweet yogurt aromas with additional stewed plums and pineapple flavours. Medium-bodied with a round, full & buttery texture. Superb warmed at 35oC – where sweetness and umami are heightened – or 60oC – where stewed plums & cooked banana flavours emerge.

Clear Sky is a very good session sake: smooth sippin’, versatile, reasonably priced, with good shelf stability and moreish flavour. Food pairings include salty & fishy dishes, BBQ, mature cheese, pickles, tempura and oysters.

Another iconic sake from Konishi Shuzo, giving us a glimpse into sake styles of yesteryear.

Versatile! Drink with salty & fishy dishes, BBQ, mature cheese, pickles, cured meats, blue cheese, chilli, tempura, oysters