”Sake” from Tosa is famous for being ”dry”.
However, ”sake” from Arimitsu Shuzo is soft and mild. The mellow taste is due to the water sourced from the Akano River.
Located in Aki-city, in the eastern part of Kochi, the nearby Akano River is famous for delicious freshwater trout and clean water.
Squeezing with ”Sakafune” method
At Arimitsu Shuzo, they squeeze the ”sake” using an old manual method called ”sakafune”. Compared to squeezing by machine, it requires a lot of time and effort.
After fermenting the rice, it reaches a stage called ”moromi” right before it is filtered. This is put in a ”sake” bag and placed on top of each other in a tub where the ”sake” will flow naturally as a result of its own weight. ”Sakafune” involves placing a cover on top and squeezing slowly. This enhances the richness of the flavor. One of the reasons Arimitsu Shuzo is able to use this labor intensive method, is their relatively small size operation compared to other breweries in Japan. Even if the brewery is small, they aim high with the ambition of making great ”sake”. Their determination and dedication creates ”sake” that is very mellow.
