Sneak into a long-established sake brewery in IseShimaSummit! [Hanzo Kamiho set]

This is a set product of the popular Japanese sake "Hanzo" which was also served at IseShimaSummit dinner.

View product information for Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo/Kamiho Set

IgaCity, the rice-producing region of Mie, also has a thriving sake brewing industry. This time, we visited Ota Sake Brewery, the company behind the much-talked-about Japanese sake "Hanzo," which was served at IseShimaSummit dinner.

127 years in Iga

Ota Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. is a long-established sake brewery founded in 1899. It is characterized by its sake brewing, which takes advantage of the flavor of rice and is brewed by hand during the coldest months of the past.

It has received high praise both domestically and internationally, including being used as a toast at IseShimaSummit held in 2016. This time, we spoke to Tomohiro Ota, Managing Director.

Iga's climate makes delicious sake

The important elements for sake brewing are rice, water, and climate.

The soil of Iga, which is said to have once been the bed of Lake Biwa, is very fine and clayey. This type of land is suitable for growing rice, and supports Iga's rice growing industry.

Looking at the water system, the source area of the Yodogawa River, which flows into Osaka Bay, is where clean water with few impurities moistens the land. At Ota Sake Brewery, water is pumped up from a well in the brewery where sake is brewed, and this water is derived from the abundant fresh water that flows from the mountains on all sides and permeates into the Iga Basin, and is used as soft underground water containing high-quality minerals. This is what is happening.

The climate is inland, surrounded by mountains, and has large temperature differences. Winters can be bitterly cold. It is said that alcoholic beverages must be fermented at low temperatures, with a maximum temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius, so a climate as cold as possible is required. Also, the colder the temperature, the less bacteria will grow and the better to produce sake with less unpleasant taste.

As you can see, Iga's land is very suitable for sake brewing, and many sake breweries in the area have been brewing unique sake for a long time.

PR with ninja costumes

Ota Sake Brewery carries a brand called "Hanzo." The name comes from the famous ninja, Hattori Hanzo.

Hanzo was born about 20 years ago. Until then, Ota Sake Brewery had been producing sake under the brand name ``Tokai Shirasagi,'' but with the merger of IgaCity, they decided to take on the challenge of developing sales channels outside the prefecture. In order to sell the product outside the prefecture, it was thought that a name that fully reflected the Iga characteristics would be a good idea, so ``Hanzo'' was born. When the product first went on sale, Managing Director Ota wore a ninja costume and traveled around the country and even overseas to promote the product.

Highly rated overseas

Thanks in part to the overseas PR effect of the ninja costumes, about 10% of all sales now come from overseas. Particularly in Hong Kong, Japanese food has become popular, and many restaurants now carry Hanzo.

Since then, Hanzo has received high praise both domestically and internationally, including winning the Mie Prefecture Governor's Award and the Gold Medal for 4 items at the Delicious Japanese Sake Award in a Wine Glass, and has become widely known as one of Mie's leading sake brewers. have become.

The product we are introducing this time is a set of sake made from different types of sake rice, ``Kamiho'' and ``Iga Yamada Nishiki.'' Managing Director Ota explained the characteristics of rice.

“Kamiho” is characterized by its gentle texture and delicious rice flavor.

Currently, the sake rice used in more than half of Ota Sake Brewery's product lineup is "Kamiho." This sake rice is suitable for sake brewing and was developed by Mie Prefecture over 12 years.

The sake brewed with this rice, named after the meaning of ``delicious sake rice grown in the land of the gods,'' is characterized by its gentle texture and the flavor of the rice. It has a taste that is not only enjoyed as a drink, but also as an accompaniment to a meal, enhancing the taste of the meal.

Since sales began in 2007, the number of breweries using Kamiho has increased, and the area under cultivation in IgaCity is increasing year by year.

The ``Hanzo Special Pure Rice Sake Kamiho'' that we will be introducing this time is a product brewed by polishing such Kamiho. It can be enjoyed both cold and hot, and is recommended for those who are drinking the Hanzo brand for the first time.

“Iga Yamada Nishiki” is characterized by its calm and elegant taste for adults.

もう一つの酒米は定番の山田錦。この酒米で仕込んだ大吟醸酒は、特有の華やかな香りと上品な味わいが特徴です。



``Junmai Daiginjo Hanzo Red Label'' uses Yamada Nishiki from Iga. You can enjoy the ginjo aroma and rich, pleasant flavor that is unique to Yamada Nishiki. It is recommended to drink it at room temperature or chilled.

History that connects to the next generation

When I visited the sake brewing site, I was greeted by a young man and a veteran brewer. The veteran brewer is Mr. Fujii, a brewer from Iwate. Every year during the sake brewing season, they come all the way from Iwate to Mie to support Ota Sake Brewery's sake brewing. They kindly accepted my surprise visit and even let me sample their moromi.

The young man that Mr. Fujii is teaching is Mr. Tomohiro's son, Yuki Ota, who is the seventh generation of Ota Sake Brewery. I heard that Mr. Yuki had just taken his first step as a brewer by brewing a Junmai sake called ``&'' last year. I think the pressure of taking over a company with a history of 120 years is no mean feat, but the expression on Mr. Yuki's face is filled with the spirit of accepting the thoughts of his predecessor and creating his own era. Looking at it, I feel that the future of alcohol in Iga is bright.

Be sure to try the sake brewed by a long-established sake brewer with all their heart and soul.

View product information for Hanzo Junmai Daiginjo/Kamiho Set