Soft and gently rounded with hints of tangerine and summer warm balsamic. This Flawless Junmai comes from Uchigasaki, the oldest brewery in the prefecture. It was founded in 1661.
Founded in 1661, the Uchigasaki Brewery has been producing the Hōyō product line for over 350 years. The oldest brewery in Miyagi Prefecture is run by a young brewer in the 16th generation. After studying microbiology at university, he trained at a long-established brewery in Yamagata Prefecture before taking over the family business.
The current brewery building is a wooden structure built over 150 years ago. The ancient wooden beams that support the building give it the character that it has received over the years. Inside the warehouse is a large iron kettle where the rice is steamed. It is rare for a brewery to still use iron kettles, as more and more breweries are using aluminum or stainless steel kettles these days. This is also a sign that the brewery is firmly tied to the history built by its predecessors.
Using these traditional tools and brewing techniques, the six employees of the Uchigasaki Brewery work tirelessly during the winter months to produce a range of products for the local market. Despite its small size, the brewery has won gold medals in national and international competitions.
Only a small part of the product brand is sold on the international market, and this Junmai-shu "Sawayaka-Summer Breeze" is one of them. It is particularly gratifying that he entire range is very inexpensive for its high quality. Hōyō products are characterized by their fineness, smoothness, and balance. The brewery's elegant brewing style is particularly suitable for sake brewed with manamusume, the special rice from Miyagi. It is a smooth, full-bodied and extremely balanced sake. Since the word sawayaka means "refreshing" or "invigorating," the sake also has hints of balsamic and tangerine. The rice is polished to 60% and exceptionally pure water is used. It has a rounded sweetness, but also shows a dry nuttiness in the crisp clean finish. This understated yet appealing style is also in keeping with the brewmaster's personality, and his sake is simply always intriguing.
Suitable food
- It is a sake that can be enjoyed with everyday dishes. Best served cold with sushi and sashimi, at room temperature for cooked dishes.