What is Mitoobe Sake Brewery in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, which produces Yamagata Masamune under the motto "Sake brewing starting from rice cultivation"?
To the brewery staff Founded in 1898, Mitobe Brewery is a pure rice brewery that produces Yamagata Masamune. The sake brewed with the highest quality rice and hard subsoil water from the Ou mountain range is characterized by the rich flavor of rice and the sharpness of the famous sword Masamune. In this issue, we take a closer look at its charms!
Interview with President Mitobe and Mr. Kojima
Q. What is the Mitobe Brewery?
A. Founded in 1898, this sake brewery is located in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. With the motto of "sake brewing from rice brewing," all sake is made from pure rice.
The brewery's characteristics are as follows: 1) Rice production Since 2004, the brewery has been growing its own sake rice in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, where the brewery is located. The brewery's brewers, who know everything there is to know about sake brewing, grow the rice themselves. (2) Tank Shibori The Mitobe brewery uses a traditional tool called a "tank" (fune) for sake brewing. Compared to the current mainstream method (yabuta method), this method is more time-consuming and labor-intensive, but it allows us to brew sake in a natural way, with less tanginess.
The koji room, where koji (malted rice), the most important ingredient in sake brewing, is grown, is made of "Kanayama cedar," a famous tree grown in Yamagata. Kanayama cedar is a wonderful wood used for shrines, temples, and high-class furniture, and this brewery is the only brewery in Japan that uses Kanayama cedar in all of its koji rooms. brewery pressing
Q.Please tell us about your products and their characteristics!
A. Japanese Sake "Yamagata Masamune" It is characterized by the rich flavor of rice and the sharpness of the famous sword Masamune produced by hard natural water from the mountain temple. The brewer is a self-professed "omatist" (i.e., a sake lover who loves omachi), and the best of the Mitobe brewery is evident in "Yamagata Masamune Omachi".
Japanese Sake "Inazou" We will start brewing sake in 2019, using only sake rice we grow ourselves. With the motto, "Life is for fun." is our motto, and we are challenging ourselves to make sake with a playful spirit.
Umeshu (plum wine) We make really tasty sake based on sake in an orthodox way without being eccentric.
Cured ham We directly import products from Tanara, an artisanal producer in the village of Langhirano, outside of Parma, which impressed the brewer.
Q.Please tell us about the differences between the different types of Yamagata Masamune and how you recommend drinking it!
A. The common characteristic of these wines is that they do not overemphasize aroma, but have a natural, food-friendly quality. It is best enjoyed chilled, but we also have a junmai sake for warming called "Yamagata Masamune Okan Junmai" (heated junmai sake). From appetizers to main courses, it is delicious with any dish. In Kojima's personal opinion, the best sake is enhanced when it is the second drink of the day!
Message to those who purchase our products
We are brewing rice and sake with the sole intention of carefully brewing delicious sake. We hope to convey our thoughts and feelings to each person who picks up our sake as if we were writing a letter to them. We hope to make many good connections with new customers.
Introducing a variety of their specialties!
Yamagata Masamune Inazo
The new standard of Mitoobe Sake Brewery, brewed with rice grown locally in Tendo City. The vintage (year) in which the rice was harvested is indicated on the bottle so that the customer can taste the flavor produced by the differences in the rice from year to year.
Yamagata Masamune Junmai Ginjo Omachi
It has a clear and clean taste with the gentle and powerful flavor of Omachi. This sake is easy to drink even for first-timers.
Yamagata Masamune Marora
This sake was commercialized out of the desire to create a sake that would go well with the excellent cured ham from Tanara. It is the first sake in the world to incorporate malolactic fermentation, and has a very mild taste with sweetness. It has a sweet and very mild taste, which can be enjoyed by heating it up.
Yamagata Masamune Summer Junmai
A popular summer-only product with a fireworks label. Made with Yamadanishiki rice, it has a refreshing yet robust flavor. The taste and alcohol content differ between Hatsuatsu (more robust and flavorful) and Mokaatsu (slightly lower alcohol content, clean and dry). There are various other types of sake available, so why not find your favorite bottle?
After the interview...
President Mitobe has the nickname "Inazo" because of the similarity of his name to "Inazo Nitobe," whose portrait was used on the 5,000-yen bill. He told us the story behind the rice production, saying that one of the reasons he started rice production was because he felt destined by this nickname. The president himself likes to enjoy drinking sake over a meal, and sake that has a clean, refreshing taste and can be enjoyed continuously gives him the happiness of eating and drinking good food. He told us that the sake is sold at stores that share his philosophy (about 70 stores in and out of the prefecture), so we hope you will try the taste of his commitment! Mitobe Sake Brewery
Location
7 Haramachi Otsu, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture
●Tel
023-653-2131
*The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
