Kenichi Ohashi MW’s N’end Sake, Japan | 6 Bottles of N’end Sake 2022 Takara Shuzo

KENICHI OHASHI MW’S N’END SAKE, JAPAN 

6 Bottles of N’end Sake 2022 Takara Shuzo

SAKE:

6 Bottles of N’end Sake 2022 Takara Shuzo

LYING IN OCTAVIAN, WILTSHIRE Offered In Bond, available Duty Paid

MORE ABOUT THIS LOT:

6 bottle set of N'end first vintage sake co-developed by Japan's First MW & Sake Samurai, Kenichi Ohashi, with Takara Shuzo, produced by Takara Shuzo under Kenichi’s consultation. 

Presented here is the first vintage of N’end, the super-premium sake that marked a new chapter in the sake industry.

Japan has cherished a culture of appreciating sake for more than a thousand years. Today, alongside the global boom in Japanese cuisine, sake is beginning to take root in international markets as well. No longer confined to Japanese dining, it is entering the fine gastronomy in the global market, gracing the lists of sommeliers across the globe and appearing on the shelves of major metropolitan supermarkets.

Kenichi Ohashi MW, the only Master of Wine in Japan and co-chair of IWC sake competition (the world’s largest sake competition), had long carried a deep regret. In the global wine market, many leading wineries produce outstanding premium wines that have earned wide recognition worldwide. Yet among Japan’s major sake breweries, there was virtually no equivalent in the premium category. Think of those iconic wines crafted by the largest wineries as representatives of their nations. No such brands existed in the sake industry. Instead, the highest price range was dominated only by small boutique breweries. Even though the community of sake lovers grew worldwide, there was no truly representative premium sake for people everywhere to enjoy.

With this vision, Kenichi approached Takara Shuzo, Japan’s largest sake producer, with a proposal to refine the sake market as the wine industry has evolved, to lead a movement to establish a sake brand loved by sake enthusiasts worldwide. Yet the path was anything but easy. It demanded countless meetings each year, trial cultivation and data analysis in pursuit of the finest sake rice, brewing experiments, tasting evaluation and along the way, many failures. But from those failures came invaluable lessons and steady improvements. Finally, in the fourth year, a remarkable sake truly worthy of unveiling to the world was born.

Along the way, they also confronted one of the key challenges facing the sake industry: rice cultivation produces methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO₂. They launched initiatives to reduce this impact and have already succeeded in cutting emissions by more than 90%. At each annual launch of this sake, they present the method publicly, continuing their efforts to drive improvement across the industry.

And most importantly, in terms of the quality: At Kenichi’s newly opened shop in central Tokyo, intertWine K×M, many distinguished experts have come specifically in search of this sake. Recently, a renowned Master Sommelier from New York visited to acquire it, while numerous Masters of Wine have also offered high praise. At the London launch earlier this year, the UK allocation sold out in only two days. Although production remains limited for the moment, but the goal is to expand gradually while pursuing ever greater refinement.

This 2022 vintage, the first release of N’end, embodies the passion of both Kenichi and Takara Shuzo. Although the first vintage has already sold out on the market, they are delighted to present this special six-bottle set. Preserved at low temperatures, it will reveal its evolving depth and refinement over 10 to 15 years of aging.

Please kindly note that, for this sake, the manufacturing date shown on the back label (“Manufactured in October 2025”) literally refers to the month and year the sake was shipped. The sake itself is made from rice of the 2022 vintage.

Website: https://intertwine-km.jp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenichi_ohashi_mw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenny.ohashi

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Please note that delivery of this lot will not be available prior to January 2026.

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-         to a UK address outside of London (excluding Ireland and Scotland): £45 for the first 10 cases, plus £10 for any additional case, plus VAT and Sotheby’s Transit Care cover.

Price on application quotes are available for all other UK addresses. Pricing for international shipping available from Sotheby's Wine and Spirits Department on request, please contact: winepostsaleservices.UK@sothebys.com.

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