GENJunmai Daiginjo
Quadruple Umami Extract
Genroku-Style
Rich Genshu

GEN revives the Onue-Gozen-shu, an exclusive feudal lordʼs sake once brewed only by officially appointed sake houses in the Edo period. Based on the Nanto Morohaku recipe from Katsuyamaʼs founding year of 1688, it reinterprets this historic style for a modern global palate. In the Edo era, lords enjoyed rich, sweet sake straight, while townspeople drank it diluted three-to four-fold.

Lord Date Masamuneʼs banquets featured not only local specialties but also the finest ingredients from across Japan ― lobster, crane, swan ― luxuries comparable today to foie gras or truffles. While foie gras is classically paired with Sauternes, GENʼs quadruple umami content enables a pairing led by umami rather than sweetness, surpassing even Château dʼYquem in its dimension of flavor.

Developed in 2009, GEN embodies a new concept of “umami pairing,” rooted in the Japanese art of kounai-chori ( “ in-mouth cooking” ), expanding the boundaries of what sake can achieve at the table. Officially selected during its tenure at Spainʼs three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca, crowned No.1 on The Worldʼs 50 Best Restaurants twice in the early 2010s. Notably, in 2014 it appeared at a private dinner hosted by Mark Zuckerberg, where the chefs of El Celler de Can Roca showcased their cuisine; he was so captivated he claimed every bottle.

Tasting Notes

• Superb with foie gras, Chateaubriand Rossini, rich sauced meats, slow-cooked stews, blue cheese, pizza quattro formaggi, sukiyaki, and other bold-flavored dishes. Excellent as a dessert sake to conclude a meal.
• Can recreate Natsu-Kouri-Sake, enjoyed by emperors and nobles over 1,200 years ago and by Masamune himself in the 16th century: shave natural ice, drizzle with syrup made from GEN and your preferred sweetness, and enjoy.