”Umami” created by low-temperature maturation
Initially, ”Katoukichibee Shoten” started off in the money exchange business and was a village headman. The established store started brewing sake in 1860, and the current owner is the 11th generation.
In its early days, the brewery made a premium label named ”Koshinoi” which was served at the ”Gotaiten ritual” of the Emperor’s enthronement ceremony as the regional ”sake” of choice. Today, all products from the store are named ”Born” 「梵」 and nearly 50 kinds of Born 「梵」 are made and sold in Japan. ”Born” 「梵 is a registered trademark in 90 countries and is exported to 30 of these countries.
In recognition of its global presence, ”Born” 「梵」 was served at a banquet during the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, and on flights used by Japanese government officials.
Katoukichibee Shoten uses low-temperature maturation for all of their ”junmaishu” which is completely additive-free. All products are matured between 0 and -8℃ for one to five years. Maturing at a low temperature adds depth to the flavor which cannot be found in fresh, unmatured ”sake”. ,
Using washed rice
Kato, the 11th owner, explained the reason for making ”junmaishu” which is free of additives.
“We want to move people with our ”sake”. Our ultimate wish is for customers to feel an appreciation for the wonders of life when they take a sip of our ”sake”. I began making ”sake” without additives because ”sake” is the perfect way for people to release their stress, and I felt it needed to be completely additive free.”
Katoukichibee Shoten also brews rare ”sake” which require special techniques, such as those using rice polished to 10% or 20%. In order to maximize the taste of the rice, Kato focused on how the rice was washed.
Usually, polished rice is immersed in water and washed by hand. But Katoukichibee Shoten puts rice into a specially developed rice-washing machine which was completed after repeated trials. The machine generates bubbles along with flowing water. The bubbles burst when they come in contact with rice, removing rice bran in the process. This method minimizes the risk of damaging the rice compared to handwashing, and is much more efficient in polishing the rice compared to using water. The washed rice is put into a special cloth bag which was also developed after repeated trials, and steamed.
Identifying the essential techniques
Kato told us that their sake brewing methods transformed over time to its current style by assessing traditional techniques and developing solutions to their challenges.
In April 2010, ”Born Ginsen” won the gold medal and trophy in the ”junmaishu” division at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2010, an international alcohol tasting competition, in London. In September of the same year, ”Born Ginsen” was named ”Champion Sake”, the highest prize, at the awards ceremony. The ”sake” which is refined and matured using a unique and original method, has attained the understanding and approval of people around the world involved in liquor production.
