Mount Izumigatake – In pursuit of better ”sake” brewing
Katsuyama Supreme SAKE co.,Ltd was founded in 1688 during the Edo period. It was created to brew ”sake” for lords of the Sendai Domain, and since then has been brewing ”sake” suitable for the feudal lords of Sendai Date clan. Ten years ago, the company moved from the a location within the local town to the nature rich foot of Mount Izumigatake. The twelfth master brewer, Heizo Izawa commented that ”to brew better sake, a new production facility and a new brewery was necessary,” reflecting on the relocation. The area is a grain-producing region where paddy fields spread out. ”This area is said to have delicious water since the ancient days”, says Izawa. The spring water of Mount Izumigatake is polished over time, becoming a soft pure water, and is used as preparation water for Katsuyama’s ”sake”.
Thin and light, simple yet unique bowls
Normally a brewer will produce 7 tanks of ”sake” in a week, but at Katsuyama, only 1 tank is produced per week. ”To make good sake, the most important thing is to adopt a meticulous method that we are confident of. In the previous brewery, we had to adopt ”hijimai” method, and we decided it was difficult to make top class ”sake”” says Izawa. ”Hijimai” is a brewing method that produces one tank of ”moromi” per day.
Now only one tank of ”sake” is produced per week. Izawa says ”once we became accustomed to this pace, we realized it was the best method to produce top class sake. We devote our time to this production, and when it is to our satisfaction, we can move on to the next task. In total, this method produces the best sake.”
Smooth to the palate and full of flavor
First Prize Winner of the ”Junmai Ginjo” division, ”Katsuyama Junmai Ginjo Ken” is, according to Izawa, ”smooth to the palate, and at first it seems light but is full bodied ”umami”.” Nakata’s impression when he tasted the ”sake” was that ”the ”umami” gradually increases in the mouth, but it has well-rounded aftertaste.” Katsuyama has always pursued ”sake” that is a great accompaniment to food. Seiji Yamamoto, the guest presenter and chef at Japanese cuisine ”Ryugin” said ”you can feel the purity of the rice. I think it will go well with lean white fish.”
