Shata Shuzou 車多酒造

Tengumai 天狗舞

A sake that can even please the gods, Tengumai is a line of sakes whose name loosely translates to the “dance of the Raven Gods.” It’s said that this sake made the gods dance after they drank it.

Over 200 years ago in 1823, the 1st generation of the Shata family travelled to Ishikawa where he fell in love with the sake being brewed and decided to establish a brewery in hopes of doing the same. 8th generation Kazunari Shata now leads this historic brewery with his team crafting beautifully textured, umami-rich sakes. 

Shata Shuzo is located on the foothills of the sacred Mount Haku, which provides the mountain spring water that is an essential part of the sake. Rice milling is done onsite with rice sourced from partner growers locally in the Kaga Plains, there is also some Grade A Yamadanishiki sourced from Hyogo. 

Though some parts of the sake brewing process have been made efficient with the use of machinery, crafting sakes incorporating the Yamahai method has been very important for Shata Shuzo. They believe that by using all of one's senses and relying on the experience of the Toji truly makes a difference. Microorganisms, like the koji and yeast, respond to the environment created by the Toji and brewery staff. Each brewing year and each batch are different and staff adapt to each circumstance as needed. It is also important to continue to preserve the techniques passed down from generations of the Noto Toji Guild. Being one of the oldest sake guilds in Japan, techniques and methods are passed down from the Toji to younger brewery staff, the wish is that they eventually make it their own, evolve it and pass it down to the next generation, preserving the heritage and tradition of the guild. 

Most of the Tengumai line of sakes have a beautiful golden yellow colour, this is because most of the sakes are aged at the brewery prior to release. Another factor is from their Koji that is made onsite. At Shata Shuzo, a thick koji mould development is encouraged, which is generally more than most breweries want to achieve, contributing to the rich t umami flavours as well as colour in the sake.

Ranging from funky, earthy, umami-rich sakes of the Tengumai line to fresh, bright, fruity sakes of the Gorin line, Shata Shuzo crafts an amazing range of quality sakes, preserving their rich heritage, protecting the treasured mountain spring water source, and passing down the techniques of the Noto Toji Guild for future generations.