Wakazo Black Junmai Ginjo

Wakazo ('young sake') was created by five young employees of Takasago Shuzo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, one of Japan's northernmost brewing cities, who took the unusual step of planning the taste profile, designing the bottle, and developing the label themselves. Takasago Shuzo, founded in 1899 as Kohiyama Shuzo, sources more than 90% of its rice from Hokkaido varieties such as Ginpu, Comet, and Kitashizuku, and draws on soft subterranean water from the snowmelt of the Chubetsu River. The 'Black' edition of Wakazo Junmai Ginjo reflects the brewery's preference for fruity, floral ginjo aromatics shaped by Hokkaido's extreme cold fermentation environment, which extends active yeast activity and deepens ester complexity. The project embodies a generational handoff within one of Hokkaido's oldest brewing houses.