Brewers' Profile #06: Suiryu (Kubo Honke shuzo)

Kubo Honke, a small family brewery in the well-preserved village of Uda, nestled into a mountain valley north of Nara, can be traced back to 1702.
Mr Kubo explains the technical aspects of Kimoto, a natural fermentation process that allows molds to form starch and yeasts to form sugar at the same time.
He also shows off the traditional rake-like poles with which his workers gently mash the rice grains for over two days. This slow mashing is a key part of the Kimoto method, which takes nearly 100days to complete, more than twice as long as modern sake fermentation.

Mr. Kubo holding his "Kimoto-no-Dobu"

Visitors during winter months - traditional brewing season, when cold temperature suppress harmful bacteria - may think they have found a strange cult. Mr Kubo’s rigorous methods have attracted a young master and a team of “craftsmen”, as he calls them, and their dedication to proper factory hygiene extends to the top of their heads, shaved bald. Katsunori Kato, master brewer of Kubo Honke, is one of them.
Katsunori learned the Kimoto method from Mr Katsuji Ito of Daishichi Brewery, Fukushima Pref., one of greatest master brewers of 20th Century. He then worked in several breweries before joining Kubo Honke. His sakes especially Kimoto-no-Dobu and Suiryu Kimoto are regarded as being among the best of their kind.
Each night during winter the brewers sample their brew.
“They all toast to the satisfaction of linking with past generations,” is the way he puts it.

[ Suiryu(Kubo Honke)'s Sake available in Australia ]

Brewers' Profile #05: Hakuinmasamune (Takashima shuzo)

picture from "www.japan-net.ne.jp/~katayama"

Takashima brewery is situated in Numazu city, Shizuoka Pref. Their water is pumped up from a 150m deep water channel, bringing water from Mt. Fuji. This channel is estimated to be 300 years old.
When Kazutaka Takashima succeeded to the brewery 6 years ago, he drastically changed the brewing method, now using Box trays for Koji, natural pressing tools, quick cool down after pasteurization etc.
He uses locally grown Yamadanishiki, Fujihomare and Shizuoka yeast No.5, aiming to produce sake that embodies the flavours and spirit of Shizuoka.

picture from "www.hakuinmasamun.jugem.jp"

Numazu is renowned for its dried fish. Kazutaka wants to produce sake that is a delight to drink with this delicacy.

[ Hakuinmasamune's Sake available in Australia ]

Brewers' Profile #04: Shinkame shuzo

picture from "http://jizake-ya.com"

  Shinkame is a small brewery in Hasuda city, Saitama Pref. less than 1 hour from Tokyo. Established in1848, in 1987 they became the first brewery to change to producing only Junmaishu. This was an epoch-making event. At that time the word Junmaishu was not even in the dictionary. In order to sell Shinkame Junmaishu, Yoshimasa Ogawahara travelled across Japan giving out samples for people to try. People think that Junmaishu means just that there is no added alcohol but it is not that simple. To produce Junmaishu, the brewing process is different from the very beginning. This is why many breweries are still unable to change to producing Junmaishu only.

  During World War II, Kura-san, Yoshimasa’s grandmother worked very hard to protect the brewery’s status against pressure from local government and the army, to merge with larger breweries. After the war pressure from the authorities continued and there was also harassment from the sake industry.

Mr and Mrs Ogawahara,
at "Sake wa Junmai 2012"

  Today Shinkame not only produces 100% Junmaishu but also uses 100% Sake brewers rice and uses small Koji trays for all sake. Use of small Koji trays is more labour intensive but it also ensures more control of and uniformity in the sake-brewing process. Shinkame’s emphasis is on aging the sake before putting it on the market. Shinkame Sake is at its best with food which means that it brings out the flavour of the food without sacrificing any of its own characteristic qualities. I think that Shinkame is the essence of the sake.

[ Shinkame's Sake available in Australia ]

There is a good restaurant near Hasuda station. Mr Ogawahara recommends their "zenzai" (sweet and thick red bean soup) with Shinkame's daiginjo.

"Sasala" http://sasala.info

Brewers' Profile #03: Gunmaizumi (Shimaoka shuzo)

picture from "www.zaku-izakaya.at.webry.info"

  Ohta city, Gunma Pref. where Gunmaizumi is situated dates back to 14^th century. These days Ohta city is the home town of Subaru. This town also has one of the largest populations of Brazilian people in Japan. Most of them are working in the Subaru factory.
Around Ohta city, people like to drink hot Sake to counteract the very cold, windy winters. The result is that at Gunmaizumi they aim produce Sake that has more Umami at warm temperatures. The water is hard, which tends to produce a dry Sake.

  At this brewery, 80% of the rice that is used is the brewers’ rice Wakamizu, which is locally grown. They import some Yamadanishiki for their daiginjo.

  Most of the Gunmaizumi Sake is made using Yamahai method. This brewery’s skill in its use of this method sets it apart from the others. Yamahai offers a complex, dense and earthy set of aromas, some of which are carried on to the finished Sake, which also has higher levels of organic and amino acids.

  Toshinobu Shimaoka, the owner of Gunmaizumi, says that keeping up tradition is important. He likes the traditional Gunmaizumi, however he also tries to experiment with new ideas, in order to match today’s taste. Even then, he only makes Sake that he likes to drink.

[ Gunmaizumi's Sake available in Australia ]

Brewers' Profile #02: Uzenshiraume (Haneda shuzo)

picture from "www.rakuten.co.jp/e-vin"

 
  In the past there were more than 40 breweries in the Oyama area, Yamagata Pref., but now only four remain. The oldest of these, Uzenshiraume, established in 1592, is located in Tsuruoka city. Using traditional tools the brewers take great care making their Sake bottle by bottle, and consequently they only produce 54kl a year.

  They make a powerful Koji and use no carbon filtration but their Sake is still clean and fresh.

  At first sip you may feel no great impact however you never get tired of drinking Uzenshiraume.

[ Uzenshiraume's Sake available in Australia ]

  I also enjoy eating Tsuruoka ramen and browsing in the antique shops every time I visit Uzenshiraume.

[ About Tsuruoka City ]

Brewers' Profile #01: Koikawa shuzo

  Established mid 18^th century, Koikawa produces approx. 140kl using Dewa sansan, Miyamanishiki and Gohyakumangoku rice strains, among others and has worked energetically to brew from locally produced brewers’ rice except for Yamadanishiki which comes from Tokushima Pref.
  Since 1981 Koikawa has also used the rice Kame-no-o -- a very old brewers’ rice that can only be grown using organic methods. Koikawa's Daiginjo Abekameji using Kame-no-o won a gold prize at 2008 Tohoku Sake contest -- an unprecendented achievement for this particular rice. Today Kame-no-o rice is grown by 8 selected farms in Shonaicho, where Koikawa is situated.

[ Koikawa's Sake available in Australia ]

  If you visit Koikawa you can enjoy another delicious experience. Not far from Koikawa is Al-che-cciano, one of the best Italian restaurants in the Tohoku region. Here you can enjoy the very best of Italian cuisine with Koikawa sake. 

Happy New Year !

We wish you all the best to 2013.

P.S.
I enjoyed my new year Sake, the last bottle of "Taketsuru Ozasaya Daiwa-omachi 16BY (2004)". It was amazingly smooth and tasty.
* Our current stock of this Sake is 17BY (2005) or later.