Collection: Kenkonichi / Onuma Shuzoten
"A drop that revives heaven and earth"
"Onuma Shuzo" who brews "Kenkonichi" founded in 1712 at Murata, Miyagi Prefecture.
It is one of the oldest traditional breweries in Miyagi prefecture.
Murata is located at the foot of Mt. Zao.
Geographically, it is excellent as a key point of transportation that connects the north, south, east and west.
During the Edo period(1600-1868), the town prospered as a distribution center for safflower and indigo, which were used as dyes for high-quality clothing.
Unfortunately, due to the change of the times, those trades have disappeared now,
But many Storages house (it’s called “Kura” in Japanese) from that time still remain today, and their beautiful scenery has been certified by the national government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Also, in Murata, there are shops that sell historical fermented foods not only sake, but also Natto, Miso, and Koji. There all are in within walking distance, and in recent years it has been attracting attention as a town of fermentation.
"Onuma Shuzo" makes a sake called "Kenkonichi".
“Ken Kon” is a word that means "heaven and earth".
A long time ago, when the first governor of Miyagi Prefecture visited Onuma Shuzo and drank their sake.
He was impressed by the good taste.
So he named it “Ken Kon Ichi”, which meaning of "wishes becoming the best sake that revives the heavens and the earth."
Their sake are highly evaluated for sake made with sake lice like “Yamada Nishiki” and “Omachi”.
But sake made from “Sasanishiki”, which is famous table rice born in Miyagi, is also very famous in domestic market.
The manufacturing process retains much of the traditional manual control and methods.
Brewers are carefully managing fine adjustments in many processes.
Their sake taste is very gentle, and it is characterized by the beautiful balance of rice flavor and sharpness. This sake especially matches the all-food pairing and good for all drink style (warm sake, chilled sake).
In Miyagi, where there are many famous brands of sake, Kenkonichi is one of the popular by sake connoisseurs and restaurants in the prefecture.
At this moment, their distribution has been almost exclusively in Miyagi Prefecture so far.
Due to the small production volume, and all of their product sold out in Miyagi by soon.
In recent years, the number of famous liquor stores with sharp eyes asking to deal.
Mitsuru Onuma who is the chairman of Kenkonich was the president of the Japan Sake Brewers Association in the Tohoku region until last year.
In the fall of 2020, he passed the baton of this traditional brewary to Takeshi Onuma.
Takeshi has a calm and gentle personality like Kenkonichi sake, but he has a great passion in his mind.
Because of his personality, he has many friends at sake breweries all over Japan. He is regarded as one of the young brewers who will lead the sake industry in the future.
This year, 2022, the sake made by Takeshi won the top prize at the sake contest in Miyagi Prefecture.
All Sake fans are paying attention to Kenkonichi's next.
「天と地を潤す一滴」
宮城県・村田町。創業1712年。
宮城県最古の蔵の一つである。
村田町は、蔵王山麓に位置する盆地。地理的に東西南北をつなぐ交通の要所として優れ、
江戸時代には、良質な服の染料として使われた紅花・藍の物流拠点として町が栄えた。
残念ながら時代の変化により、現在それらの交易は無くなってしまったが、
当時の蔵は現在も多く残り、その美しい景観は、重要伝統的建造物群保存地区として国から認定されている。
また、村田町には、日本酒、納豆、味噌、麹屋など歴史ある発酵食品を扱う店が、
すべて徒歩圏内に揃っており、発酵の町としても近年注目されている。
大沼酒造店は、乾坤一という名前のお酒を造っている。
“乾坤”とは天と地を意味する言葉だ。
その昔、宮城県の初代知事が大沼酒造に訪問しお酒を飲んだところ、
そのあまりのおいしさに感動し、
この酒が「天と地を潤す一番のお酒になれ」という意味を込めて名付けられたそうだ。
乾坤一のお酒は、山田錦や雄町などの酒造米を使ったお酒も評価が高いが、
中でも宮城の飯米であるササニシキで造ったお酒が特に有名である。
酒質は、おだやかで、お米の旨味、キレの良い酒質が、美しいバランスで造られているのが特徴。
製造工程は伝統的な手作業での管理を多く残している。
多くの工程で細かい調整を蔵人が丁寧に管理することで、
どのお酒も極上の味わいに仕上がっている。
銘酒が多い宮城で、県内の酒通・飲食店が確実に名前を挙げる一本が乾坤一だ。
生産量が少ないこともあり、これまで流通はほぼ宮城県のみであったが
しかし近年、目利きの鋭い全国有名酒販店での取り扱いも徐々に増加している。
会長の大沼充氏は、昨年まで全東北地区の酒造組合会長を務めた人物であり、
現在の乾坤一を確立した人物だ。
そして、2020年秋、大沼健氏に伝統のバトンを渡している。
健氏は乾坤一のお酒のごとく穏やかな雰囲気の人柄だが、芯のある人物。
全国の酒造蔵元とも交流が深く、業界で期待の若手蔵元の一人としてみなされている。
今年2022年、健氏の作ったお酒は、宮城県の酒コンテストで、最高賞を受賞した。
今後の乾坤一の動向に全国の酒ファンは静かな注目を注いでいる。
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Kenkonichi - Tokubetsu Junmai Karakuchi 720ml
Regular price €32,00 EURRegular priceUnit price / per -
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Kenkonichi - Heaven &Earth 720ml
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Kenkonichi - Junmai-shu 300ml
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Kenkonichi - Junmai Daiginjo 720ml
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