Born Gold Junmai Daiginjo 15% 720ml

Born Gold Junmai Daiginjo (梵・ゴールド) is a distinctive unfiltered Junmai Daiginjo from Kato Kichibee Shoten in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture. Made with contract-grown Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo’s Special A district and polished to 50%, it is known for its naturally pale golden colour, transparent aroma and refreshing yet substantial flavour.

One of the most interesting aspects of Born Gold is its maturation. The blend includes sake matured at approximately -10°C for up to one year. The sake is kept unfiltered (muroka) and is heat-treated shortly before shipment to preserve its character.

What Does Born Gold Taste Like?

Aroma: Delicate Fruit • Fresh Citrus • Gentle Floral Notes
Palate: Smooth • Fresh • Rice Umami • Refined Sweetness
Finish: Clean • Refreshing • Elegant • Lingering

The brewery describes Born Gold as 芳醇旨口 (hojun umakuchi)—rich and flavourful—while emphasizing its transparent aroma and refreshing but noticeable flavour.

Unlike an extremely light Junmai Daiginjo, Born Gold retains enough rice character to give the palate depth while remaining polished and elegant.

Why Is Born Gold Actually Golden?

The pale gold colour is an important selling point.

Born Gold is unfiltered (muroka / 無濾過). The brewery specifically highlights that the lack of conventional filtration allows the sake to retain its beautiful natural pale golden colour.

This doesn’t mean the sake contains gold flakes. “Gold” refers to the sake’s appearance and product identity, not added gold leaf.

Ice-Temperature Maturation

Born is particularly known for very cold maturation.

For Born Gold, the final product incorporates sake that has been matured at around -10°C for up to one year before blending.

This helps integrate the flavours while preserving the clean aromatic quality of the sake.

Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Special A District

Born Gold is made with contract-grown Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture’s Special A district, one of Japan’s most celebrated regions for premium sake rice.

The rice is polished to:

50% polishing ratio (P50)

Food Pairing

Born Gold is more versatile with food than its premium Junmai Daiginjo classification might suggest.

Recommended pairings include sashimi, sushi, scallops, grilled white fish, tempura, roast chicken, grilled pork, yakitori, seafood, mushrooms and mild cheeses.

Its combination of refreshing character and rice umami also makes it suitable for slightly richer dishes where an extremely delicate Daiginjo might disappear.

Recommended Serving Temperature

The brewery gives Born Gold an unusually broad serving range:

For first-time customers, I recommend 8–10°C.

A slightly warmer serving temperature can bring forward more rice umami and depth.

Awards

This exact Born Gold has an extensive producer-confirmed award history. Among the strongest recent awards:

🥇 Gold Medal – Los Angeles International Wine Competition 2026
🥇 Gold – Wine Glass de Oishii Nihonshu Award 2026
🏆 Grand Gold – CINVE Spain 2025
🥇 Gold – Milano Sake Challenge 2025
🥇 Gold – Tokyo Sake Challenge 2025
🏆 BEST SAKE – Singapore Sake Challenge 2024
🥇 Gold – Kura Master 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Born Gold Junmai Daiginjo?

Born Gold Junmai Daiginjo is an unfiltered premium sake from Kato Kichibee Shoten in Fukui, Japan. It is made with Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo’s Special A district, polished to 50%.

Why is Born Gold golden?

Born Gold is muroka, or unfiltered, allowing it to retain a naturally pale golden colour. No gold flakes are required to create its appearance.

What does Born Gold taste like?

It has a transparent, refined aroma with a refreshing yet substantial palate, combining smooth rice umami, gentle sweetness and a clean finish. The producer describes it as 芳醇旨口, or rich and flavourful.

What rice is used in Born Gold?

It uses contract-grown Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture’s Special A district.

What is the polishing ratio?

Born Gold has a 50% rice polishing ratio.

Is Born Gold filtered?

It is muroka (無濾過), meaning unfiltered, which contributes to its natural pale golden appearance.

Is Born Gold aged?

Yes. The blend includes sake matured at approximately -10°C for up to one year.

Is Born Gold sweet or dry?

It is better described as rich, smooth and balanced than simply sweet or dry. The brewery characterizes it as hojun umakuchi, emphasizing flavour and umami rather than extreme dryness.

How should Born Gold be served?

It can be enjoyed chilled at 0–10°C, at room temperature around 15–20°C, or gently warmed to 30–40°C.

Has Born Gold won awards?

Yes. Recent producer-confirmed achievements include BEST SAKE at Singapore Sake Challenge 2024, Grand Gold at CINVE 2025 and Gold at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition 2026.