Japan Brewery Tour (April 16 – 20, 2012)
This April, I was lucky enough to join my good friend and Business associate Mr Bungo Horibuchi on a brewery tour extravaganza. We prepared ourselves, and our livers to tackle five breweries on four islands in five days. It’s a tough job but we were up for the challenge. Over the next few issues of Sipping with the Sake Master, you will get to hear about our travels and the breweries we visited.
Brewery visit #1 Saito Shuzo
Monday 16th April 2012
It’s Monday morning at Kyoto station when I step off the Shinkanzen from Tokyo. The “Nozomi” high speed train clocks in at around 300km per hour so it’s a very acceptable 2 hours and 20 minutes between the cites, just enough for me to enjoy my gourmet bento box, take in the rapidly passing scenery and answer emails. I meet Japanese Exporter extraordinaire and President of Kobe Foods, Horibuchi San, who has kindly organised this adventure and he drives us to our first Kura visit, Saito Shuzo in Kyoto.
Saito San of the Saito Shuzo greets Sake Master Andre Bishop
Saito Shuzo, produces Sake under the brand name Eikun, (Hero) but in times past (pre 1915) was known as Ootaka, (Big Eagle). The company once produced Kimono, but for the last 120 years has turned its attention to Nihonshu. Whilst 120 years makes Saito Shuzu a relative baby in sake production terms they are no child when it comes to producing award winning sake. The Kura holds the high honour of being only one of two Kura in Japan to have won gold medals for its sake 14 years running at the Zenkoku Shinsu Kanpyokai (National Japan New Sake Competition), if they manage to take out another in May then they’ll be making history with 15 gongs.
Saito Shuzo has won countless awards for its beautiful sake
At the brewery entrance we were greeted by Motokazu Takagi San, the company’s Sales Division Manager. He has a round welcoming face with a big smile, the type of face that puts you instantly at ease. Horibuchi San and I are whisked into the brewery conference room and treated to a video showing my Sake Sensei, John Gauntner being interviewed on TV, another welcoming face. Company President Toru Saito San drops by and officially welcomes me to the brewery.
Local Iwai Mai rice and samples of milling rates
We depart for a tour of the Kura proper. Saito Shuzo incorporates a vertical production style, (they made the switch 37 years ago) where rice is elevated to the fourth floor of the Kura and each process brings the finished product closer to the ground. This makes a lot of sense; gravity is cheap when you are shifting your raw ingredients around. Whilst vertical brewing is now relatively common in newer brewery setups, its progressive thinking when compared to the traditional horizontal layout.
Takagi San shows us the moromi tanks
As we descend through the floors it’s apparent to me that Saito San and his team are forward thinkers. Many new production techniques and equipment are being used. I notice what I thought was a brand new koji muro; it’s stainless steel walls glistening in the light. It was actually installed 15 years old but its sparkling condition is explained as I look around the corner to see an crew of Kurabito (brewery worker) polishing and cleaning the walls of this Koji temple. In juxtaposition to this I notice some old metal containers nailed to the roof of the outer passageway, they are old koji containers, maybe placed there by some kurobito or toji as some token of appreciation or offering.
Sake Barrels
Koji tins on the roof of the kojimuro Kurabito (brewery workers) at works
Whilst Saito Shuzu seems quick to embrace the new, there are certainly elements of tradition that remain. We round the corner where I witness a kurobito carefully measuring a dark liquid into containers – its fruit tannin, mainly derived from Persimmon. It is commonplace to use activated charcoal to remove impurities in sake. Solids and off colours are drawn out of the sake by the charcoal and sink to the bottom of the tank. Fruit tannin serves the same purpose but can definitely be filed under “old school”. I was intrigued, my first response was “Doesn’t the tannin itself, discolour the sake, it’s so dark and rich in colour?” the Kurabito smiled and said, “Yes, if you get the measurements wrong and put too much in, then you are in trouble!” Now I know why he was measuring his pours so carefully.
Andre had a sip of ???
Stay tuned! The Sake Master will tell you more about the his favourite part of any kura tour, the tank, next week.
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Andre Bishop is a Melbourne based Sake Professional and is recognized as one of Australia’s leading authorities on Sake. His 12 years of experience in designing Asian and specifically Japanese venues include well know Melbourne establishments Robot Bar and Golden Monkey. He currently owns the 22 year old Japanese dining institution Izakaya Chuji and Sake Bar Nihonshu. He is also co-owner and founder of Melbourne’s flagship Izakaya and Sake Bar, Kumo in Brunswick East. Andre studied Sake in Japan and is the only Australian who currently holds a Level 2 Sake Professional Certificate from the International Sake Education Council.
Andre is available for Consulting on Sake, Japanese Beverage Lists, Sake Staff Training and Sake Equipment. Contact: andrebishopsan@gmail.com
Sake Master Andre’s blog: www.sakemaster.com.au
Twitter: sakemasterandre
Sipping with the Sake Master #4
Sipping with the Sake Master #3
Sipping with the Sake Master #2
Sipping with the Sake Master #1
Please click here for Sake Master Andre Bishop’s older interview
