Kikusui Funaguchi Ichiban Shibori Kunko Genshu Nama Sake, Japan

Rich, aromatic, and unusually distinctive, Kikusui Kunko Funaguchi takes the brewery's celebrated nama genshu style in a more fragrant direction. Instead of the brewing alcohol used for the original gold-can Funaguchi, Kunko is made with single-distilled shochu produced from Kikusui's own sake lees, an approach inspired by the historic Japanese practice of hashira-shochu brewing. Made with Niigata-grown rice polished to 70%, left unpasteurized and undiluted, and bottled at a powerful 19% ABV, it combines the concentrated richness of Funaguchi with deeper floral fragrance, savory umami, and a long, clean finish.

Product Details:

• Rice: 100% Niigata-grown rice
• Rice Polishing Ratio: 70%
• Ingredients: Rice, rice koji, and sake lees shochu
• Special Production: Single-distilled shochu made from Kikusui sake lees is used in place of conventional brewing alcohol
• Production Inspiration: Hashira-shochu brewing, a method with roots in the Edo period
• Pasteurization: None, nama sake
• Dilution: None, genshu
• Production: Limited production
• Packaging: Aluminum can designed to protect the unpasteurized sake from light
• ABV: 19%

Sensory Description:

Deeply aromatic and full-bodied, Kunko combines the fresh, concentrated character of nama genshu with an additional layer of fragrance derived from its sake-lees shochu. Floral and fruit-driven aromas rise above a dense core of rice flavor and savory umami, giving the sake greater aromatic lift than the original Funaguchi. The palate is rich and powerful, with the undiluted 19% alcohol contributing weight and intensity without obscuring its freshness. Savory depth and rounded texture lead into a remarkably clean, dry, and persistent finish.

Producer’s Background:

Kikusui Sake Co. was founded in 1881 and has developed a reputation for combining traditional Japanese brewing knowledge with an unusually strong interest in innovation and preservation. One of its defining achievements arrived in 1972 with Funaguchi, documented by the brewery as Japan's first commercially produced canned nama genshu. The aluminum can solved a practical problem: unpasteurized sake is particularly vulnerable to light, heat, oxygen, and changes in temperature. By blocking light and minimizing the headspace above the sake, the package allowed Kikusui to bring the intense flavor of freshly brewed nama genshu beyond the brewery itself. Kunko builds on that history with a more specialized technique. Kikusui distills its own sake lees into aromatic shochu and incorporates that spirit into the brewing process, recalling the historic hashira-shochu method while creating a more perfumed and complex interpretation of the Funaguchi style.

Serving Suggestions:

Kunko can be enjoyed chilled, over ice, at room temperature, or gently warmed, with cooler service emphasizing its aromatic freshness and warmer service drawing greater attention to its richness and umami. Its concentrated flavor and 19% ABV make it particularly well suited to robust foods such as yakitori, grilled pork, teriyaki, sukiyaki, rich ramen, braised meats, mushrooms, and savory dishes built around miso or soy. The unopened can can also be allowed to mature under refrigeration, gradually developing a rounder texture and deeper, more mellow character.