The story behind Kubota
Kubota began in 1830 in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, under the trade name Kubotaya, and incorporated in 1920. The modern brand arrived on May 21, 1985, when fourth generation president Toru Hirasawa and brewing expert Teiji Shima launched a standalone flagship line to break a punishing premium sake price war.
That relaunch set the house style the brewery still guards: tanrei karakuchi, crisp, clean, dry and smooth. It is brewed from local Gohyakumangoku rice and soft groundwater filtered through Niigata's mountains, with no blending and no shortcuts, under master brewers of the Echigo Toji guild. The brewery took the Gold Prize at the Japan Sake Awards in 2018.
Explore the Kubota range
Kubota tiers its lineup by rice polishing, from the everyday Hyakujyu up to the flagship Manjyu. Each bottle below is 15% ABV.
| Expression | Type | Proof / ABV | Tasting notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kubota Hyakujyu Tokubetsu 720mL | Tokubetsu Honjozo | 30 | Entry bottle, sharp and clean, flexible across temperatures |
| Kubota Senjyu 720mL | Ginjo | 30 | House standard, dry and structured, reliably crisp |
| Kubota Daigingo Genshu 720mL | Daiginjo Genshu | 30 | Undiluted daiginjo, fuller body, concentrated fruit |
| Kubota Junmai Daigingo 720mL | Junmai Daiginjo | 30 | Green apple, pear, melon, soft acidity |
| Kubota Manjyu Junmai Daiginj 720mL | Junmai Daiginjo | 30 | White peach, muskmelon, floral, very smooth |
| Kubota Manjyu 720mL | Junmai Daiginjo | 30 | Flagship icon, elegant nose, silky texture |
SpiritKubota - Junmai Daigingo 300mL$10.99
SpiritKubota - Manjyu Junmai Daiginj 720mL$65.99Out of stock
SpiritKubota - Senjyu 720mL$23.99Out of stock
SpiritKubota - Daigingo Genshu 720mL$26.99Out of stock
SpiritKubota - Junmai Daigingo 720mL$33.99Out of stock
SpiritKubota - Senjyu 300mL$11.99
SpiritKubota - Hyakujyu Tokubetsu 720mL$21.99Out of stock
SpiritKubota - Manjyu 720mL$64.99Which Kubota is right for you?
Kubota pricing tracks polishing, and you can see it plainly here. The Hyakujyu Tokubetsu 720mL runs $21.99, an honest weeknight bottle. Senjyu 720mL is $23.99 when stocked, and the Daigingo Genshu 720mL sits at $26.99. Step up to the Junmai Daigingo 720mL at $33.99 for floral, green apple lift. The Manjyu is the splurge: $64.99 for the 720mL and $65.99 for the Junmai Daiginj bottling, both worth the jump for a celebration.
Dry, clean and cheap enough to open on a Tuesday with takeout sashimi.
Green apple and melon aromatics read familiar to anyone who loves Chablis.
Flagship texture and white peach elegance that earns the pour at a toast.