睡龍 久保本家酒造 Suiryu

Kubo-honke Shuzo was established in 1702 in Nara, the birthplace of sake. Since 2003, Toji (head brewmaster) Mr. Kato has led the brewery's sake-making team with the full backing of Mr. Kubo, the 11th-generation family head. Together, they brew a one-and-only, authentic sake characterized by extreme purity, outstanding strength, and exceptional durability.

Toji

To achieve his ideal sake, Mr. Kato reintroduced the traditional Kimoto method. Developed during the Edo period, Kimoto is an ancient, entirely manual process that relies on natural fermentation. Today, the standard industry practice is the Sokujō (fast-brewing) method, which allows for quick, safe, and efficient mass production. In contrast, the Kimoto method requires intense manual labor and carries a high risk of fermentation failure, resulting in limited production volumes. Due to its poor cost efficiency, the Kimoto method practically vanished 70 years ago and was forgotten for decades. Recently, however, a few breweries have rediscovered its merits and revived the craft. In his relentless quest for the truth of sake, Mr. Kato encountered Kimoto and knew it was the path he had to take.

Kuramoto

The Kuramoto (brewery owner), Mr. Kubo, was not always interested in the family business. In his youth, he pursued a career as a banker and was eventually stationed at a London branch. Seeing Japan and its culture from overseas completely transformed his perspective. He realized that his family had been preserving a cultural treasure for over 300 years, inspiring him to return home and succeed the family brewery in 1995. At the time, Kubo-honke was struggling, surviving primarily by selling bulk sake to major companies. Recognizing that the sake industry had passed its peak in 1975 and was in continuous decline, Mr. Kubo knew the brewery had no future if they stayed the course. He decided to pivot, transitioning to selling sake under their own labels.

Breakthrough

It was a grueling process that required years of patience and trial-and-error. Finally, Mr. Kubo crossed paths with Mr. Kato and experienced a breakthrough: Mr. Kato’s Kimoto method was the ultimate solution. In 2003, Mr. Kubo bet the entire future of Kubo-honke Shuzo on Mr. Kato. When signing his contract, Mr. Kato had one crucial condition: "My team and I must be allowed to drink as much of our own sake as we like." He insisted on this because he wanted to brew sake of such high quality that he would happily drink it himself. "That is why we are so serious," Mr. Kato explains. "We produce the real stuff for ourselves, so the quality is 100% guaranteed. Whatever is left over is what we sell."

While several breweries have adopted the Kimoto method today—generally to add complexity—Kubo-honke’s approach stands entirely apart. Mr. Kato thoroughly builds up and refines the yeasts until fermentation is complete. These ultra-strong yeasts convert all sugars into alcohol, achieving a degree of completion that yields superb purity and unmatched structural strength.

Mr. Kato and his team also produce Sokujō versions, applying the same rigor. "Because we deeply understand every single step of the Kimoto process, we are able to execute the Sokujō method perfectly as well," he notes. Consequently, the high quality of Kubo-honke’s casual lines is heavily supported by their profound Kimoto expertise.

Today, this highly revered brewery releases three unique sakes:

Kimoto-no-dobu (生酛のどぶ): The ultimate cloudy sake, crafted in a distinctively dry style.

Suiryu (睡龍): A large-boned, robust sake possessing extreme purity and extraordinary aging potential.

Hatsugasumi (初霞): A warm, calm brew designed to bring a relaxing mood to your table.

"Real Kimoto sake requires at least five years of aging to be ready to drink, which is why we never release the Kimoto version of Suiryu when it is young," Mr. Kato explains. This is why any Kimoto Suiryu you find on the market is always an older vintage. On the other hand, Kimoto-no-dobu is released relatively earlier, as the Moromi (mash) naturally softens the texture of the young sake.

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