Samurai‑style, in lineage. Katsuyama. Brewery to the Date Clan of the Sendai Domain — Founded 1688 — Pure Junmai, Brewed once a week

What is Katsuyama? — Brewing the samurai way for today.
Founded in 1688 as the Official Brewery to the DATE Clan of Sendai Domain, Katsuyama carries the sole surviving lineage of that courtly tradition. Samurai demanded not spectacle but poise and propriety― a sake that sets the scene and composes the people. For us, “Samurai‑style” is not a brand name but a brewing philosophy that informs every decision we make.

The core of our Samurai‑style is threefold: Lineage, Clarity, and Etiquette.

1.Lineage — The Brewery’s Bloodline
DATE‑era banquets unified politics, strategy, and culture― a confluence of place. There, sake served with restraint and respect― down to vessel, temperature, pouring height, and pacing. As the sole surviving brewery to the DATE Clan, we reinterpret that design of propriety in our making, tasting, and serving.

2.Clarity — Transparency of Umami
Our umami is not heavy sweetness but broth‑like depth. By layering koji‑derived structure with fermentation‑borne length― without separating them in perception― we enable In‑Mouth Cooking. Umami moves in waves, amplifying with cuisine to restore taste‑centered balance in an aroma‑driven age.

3.Etiquette — The Conduct of the Table
Sake is a tool that reflects the dignity of place. Serve small pours in thin‑lipped wine glasses, reading temperature transitions and savoring the intervals. From the height and speed of the pour to the quiet aftertaste, Katsuyama seeks to be a sake that honors the moment.

Izumigatake Terroir
At the foot of Mt. Izumigatake, pristine aquifers and living seasonality suit sake. Water sets the outline, koji builds the core, and fermentation draws the length. We bottle the region’s breathing of seasons as flavor.

In Closing
Katsuyama translates Date‑style propriety for the modern table― ceremonial dignity for celebrations, equanimity and balance for everyday meals. That balance is the essence of Samurai‑style Sake.

The Living Essence
of Samurai-Style Sake

Unlike wine, this is not a beverage to be savored solely through the nose.
The moment it enters the mouth, every sense awakens.

The sake floods the palate, releasing aromas that rise retronasally ― lingering as a long, resonant finish. These aromas intertwine with the layered sweetness of rice, the rich umami of koji, and the complex acidity and subtle bitterness born of fermentation.

Together, they create a multi-dimensional structure, completed by the quiet intoxication of fine alcohol ― a depth of experience that can only be fully appreciated when the sake is savored to its last breath.

The Craft Behind
Katsuyamaʼs “Samurai-Style” Profile

Katsuyama carries forward the legacy of sake once reserved for feudal lords, brewing each tank as a week-long duel of precision and discipline. In the age of the samurai, such sake had to hold its ground for three to four hours after being served, retaining an unwavering core and structural integrity.

To achieve this, both ingredient-driven and fermentation-derived umami must resonate in harmony with the flavors of cuisine, with clearly defined contours, exceptional purity, and a clean, decisive finish. Every stage of production is executed with meticulous care, leaving no room for compromise.

At the same time, Katsuyama continues to push the boundaries of sake-making ― adopting centrifugal extraction to unlock the potential of aged sake, and advancing sokujo-moto fermentation to build greater volume and layered umami ― while remaining true to its raison d’être as the sake of the samurai.

Enjoying
Samurai-Style Sake

To fully appreciate the depth and elegance of Samurai-Style sake, treat it with the same care and reverence as a fine vintage wine.

・Storage:

Always keep refrigerated. Once opened, consume within 10 days.
LEI (Double Umami) : Best within 2–3 weeks under refrigeration.
GEN (Quadruple Umami): Best within 1–2 months under refrigeration.

For chilled service, use a wine glass to allow the bouquet and layered umami to unfold. For Nurukan (gently warmed) or Kan-zamashi (cooled after warming), serve in a traditional Ochoko.

In warmer months, pour over crushed ice for a refreshing lift, or add a twist of lemon peel for a burst of brightness. Add a touch of sweetness to GEN and drizzle it over shaved ice to create Summer Shaved Ice Sake for a Feudal Lord ― a playful nod to the indulgences of the samurai elite.

With aged Angus beef steak, crack fresh black pepper directly into the glass to amplify the savoriness. With Chinese or other Asian ethnic dishes, drop in a whole dried red chili pepper ― its vivid color drifting in the liquid evokes a goldfish in a pond. Such inventive pairings ― bold, refined, and unapologetically playful ― embody the adventurous spirit of the samurai.

How to enjoy Katsuyama sake

Daté Clan Victory Toast Protocol
– BANZAI!

Mission: Honor the Lord, secure the Clan, bless the homeland, and swear victory in unity. Follow orders as given.

Procedure

1. Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core. Chest out. Chin down. Hold position.

2. Cup in Hand:

   •For battle: Left hand.
   •Among trusted allies: Right hand.

   Extend forward at 90 degrees. Elbow locked. Always act as if armored. Hold the cup high with dignity.

3. Other Hand: Thumb nail to index finger, resting firmly at the waist.
4. Command Call: When the leader shouts “SENSHŌ！”(Victory!),
   respond as one: “BANZAI!” (Long live prosperity!), — loud, fierce, united.
5. Final Act: Thrust the cup skyward, first offering sake to the heavens.
   Then drink with the pride and bearing of a samurai.

The “No-Kanpai” Rule

Among the samurai, the word“kanpai” ― though meaning “cheers”― was forbidden. Its sound is identical to “complete defeat,” an ill omen for warriors whose highest calling was victory. In the Japanese tradition of kotodama (the spiritual power of words), it was an inauspicious term to be avoided.

Instead, in the Sendai Daté tradition, the leader delivers a formal address, then calls out from the tanden (core of the abdomen), “SENSHŌ!”(Victory!) All respond in unison with a triumphant “BANZAI!” (Long live prosperity!), raising their cup high, chest proud, and drinking boldly as if in friendly competition.

This is the true toast of the samurai.

Tasting Etiquette
— The way of the Samurai

SAMURAI style Sake vs. Wine
— The Role of Umami

Wine does contain umami, but it remains a background shadow, not the centerpiece. It comes from amino acids in grapes, slightly amplified by yeast metabolism, softened in malolactic fermentation, and reinforced by yeast autolysis during aging — most notable in long-aged Champagne. To sommeliers, wineʼs umami is a supporting cushion beneath acidity, tannin, and fruit, never the lead.

By contrast, SAMURAI style Sake is built upon umami itself. Koji breaks down rice proteins into amino acids, yielding up to ten times the umami of wine. The moment it enters the mouth, umami floods the tongue while aromas rise simultaneously into the nose — flavor and fragrance surge in parallel, resonating, layering, and echoing long after the sip.

This redefines pairing. While wine pairings pivot on balancing acidity, tannin, and bouquet, SAMURAI style Sake is structured by umami concentration. Crafted at 2x, 4x, and 6x umami intensity, it can be chosen to match the depth of dishes rich in umami — dashi, aged cheeses, dry-aged meats. This is not harmony in the old sense, but a direct resonance of umami between food and sake.

In tasting terms:

•Wineʼs umami = a soft afterthought, emerging gently after fruit and acid.
•SAMURAI styleʼs umami = a commanding presence, from the first attack to the final lingering finish.

Thus, SAMURAI sake delivers a dimension of pairing and tasting that wine alone can never provide — an overwhelming sensory experience where umami takes center stage.