Product
ZENRI 2025 KINOTOMI
ZENRI Jikkan-junishi
2025年 乙巳 KINOTOMI
Marking an unwavering truth that transcends the passing of time
Everything changes like a round of ten natural phenomena and twelve animals (Jikkan-junishi).
ZENRI's series of Jikkan-junishi, embodying the 'impermanence of all things', in which we find the essential value of the world.
ZENRI embraces the cycle of time woven by Jikkan-junishi while accompanying the changing of the four seasons in the midst of the impermanence of all things changing.
The different flavours of each season quietly unfold, and deep within them lies a spirit of profound beauty and harmony that remains unchanged. We hope that a cup of ZENRI is more than just a cup of sake, it is a special cup of sake that redefines the essence of time as it moves through time.
‘Lottery sales’ held only four times a year
ZENRI is only available for pre-order by lottery four times a year, to accompany the changing seasons and deliver the most appropriate flavours for each season.
Only a small number of bottles can be produced each year, using the limited rice grown by nature in Kyoto and carefully crafted by hand by our artisans.
The rarity of this sake enriches the special moments of those who drink it, and we hope to deliver a luxurious moment that will be deeply engraved in their hearts.
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Concept
2025乙巳 KINOTOMI
-
Kinoto
乙
Sprouting with Flexibility
Inner Strength -
Mi
巳
Change and Challenge
-
Ki
木
Natural Harmony and
Vitality
Zenri of "Kinoto-Mi"
Sprouting with flexibility, stepping into new challenges
The year 2025, "Kinoto-Mi" (Wood-Snake), symbolizes a year where plants quietly achieve growth and store energy for the next possibility. "Kinoto" represents natural sprouting and powerful growth that takes root steadily while adapting to the environment, while "Mi" (Snake) symbolizes the power of change and rebirth through shedding its skin and being reborn in a new form.
In Zenri, this Kinoto-Mi spirit is sake brewing itself.
The land and water of Kyoto Fushimi, along with the vitality of the sake rice "Iwai," are carefully brewed by the craftsmen's hands to create new flavors.
There lives the tradition inherited in harmony with nature and the spirit of challenge looking toward the future.
This year's Zenri condenses in each drop the strength hidden within delicacy and the power of change that opens up new worlds.
We deliver to you the philosophy of Zenri, which maintains an unwavering axis even in changing times while constantly seeking evolution.
"Sprouting with flexibility, shining through change, and challenging the future" - please look forward to Zenri in 2025.
Taste
ZENRI has a delicate yet rich flavour -- here is how to make this sake and which dishes it can be paired with to maximise its taste.
Enjoy the harmony of aromas and flavours that ZENRI offers with a variety of food pairings.
1
Extreme delicacy
from traditional handcrafting
Our brewery is a rare “Junmai Ginjo brewery” in Japan that only brews “Junmai Ginjo” and ”Junmai Daiginjo” .
Since the Edo period, we have preserved and inherited the handmade manufacturing method .
It may not be an efficient method, but it is the true sake brewing that ZENRI believes in.
Koji (麹, rice malt) is alive. That is why koji-making is also done by hand.
It is an ultimate task that requires caring for the condition of bacteria almost without sleep for 2 to 3 days.
There were countless challenges to face - polishing the rice, washing and soaking it in units of several kilograms by hand, temperature control for koji making, and so on.
While listening to the bacteria, Toji sprinkles Koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae), adjusting based on many years of experience and intuition.
The delicate decision leads to the ultimate delicate taste.
Furthermore, we are especially particular about the processes of rice washing and soaking.
2
To maximise the life force of the land --
Deep taste created by the rich flavour of 100% organic rice
Kameoka, Kyoto Precious sake rice ‘Iwai’
We believe that the uniqueness of sake is created by the brewery, the land, and the local people.
ZENRI uses rice from Kyoto, water from Kyoto, and the hands of people living in Kyoto to bring out the unique characteristics of the local land and the exceptional flavor you can fully enjoy.
ZENRI uses a sake rice called 'Iwai (祝),' which originates from Kyoto and is one of the region’s representative sake rice varieties. This precious rice has a history of cultivation that was once suspended due to its difficulty in growing.
To maximise the power of the land, 100% organic sake rice is used without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
We also carry out thorough quality control, inspecting the rice from each farm and only using rice that meets our own strict standards for brewing sake.
In addition, the annual production of Iwai is very low compared to other sake rice, accounting for only 1% of all sake rice in the country.
3 Water of Kyoto Fushimizu The overwhelming clarity produced by Kyoto's ‘pure water - fushimizu’.
As about 80% of sake is water, it goes without saying that its composition has a direct effect on its flavour.
And the composition of the water has a significant impact on the microorganisms responsible for fermentation.
The water used to brew ZENRI is Kyoto's famous underground water.
This water has a moderate hardness, which is essential for sake brewing, and brings out a mellow, delicate flavour while calming the activity of micro-organisms. The abundant underground water veins beneath Fushimi, Kyoto, originate from the Momoyama Hills, and the water has been refined by the earth over a long period of time.
Its underground water is extremely low in iron, making it ideal for brewing sake.
The iron content standard is strict at 0.02 mg/L or less, and ZENRI's brewing water meets this standard as well, maintaining a delicate aroma and an overwhelming clarity with no cloying taste.
The water from Fushimi has a lower mineral content than the water from Nada, which means that the fermentation process is slower, giving ZENRI a softer, more refined taste.
Pairing
ZENRI offers a delicate yet rich flavor.
Enjoy the harmony of its aroma and taste, perfectly paired with a variety of dishes.
