Speaking of Yamagata, in the snowy country located in the Tohoku region, many people come to think of cherries, tamakonjac, and potato boiled rice.
Delicious rice cultivated in the large Shonai plain, which is said to reach about 4000 square kilometers. And Yamagata is blessed with the thaw water flowing from the mountains that surround the four directions, the delicious rice necessary for sake brewing, and the delicious water.
In Yamagata Prefecture, as many as 54 breweries are dedicated to sake brewing, and they are always the top sake brewers in the National Awards for New Sake.
Here, we introduce the history and characteristics of Yamagata sake and the seven bottles we would like to recommend.
History of Yamagata sake
Until about thirty years ago, Yamagata sake was unknown throughout the country.
This is because the breweries that existed in the prefecture are all small and have been producing daily sake mainly for local people.
For this reason, it is inevitable that Yamagata sake will be less attractive in mass consumption areas such as the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kansai area where many sakes are gathered from areas called famous sake places around the country. did.
Despite its low national reputation, the locals loved the local sake brewers and were often drunk, so that wasn't a problem.
However, in the 1970s, other products, such as shochu and whiskey, were pushed by other products, causing ordinary sake to no longer sell.
From here, each brewer turned to high-quality, high-value-added sake rather than ordinary sake.
In addition, the Yamagata Prefectural Institute of Technology, a prefectural institution operated by Yamagata Prefecture, provides guidance to the Yamagata Prefectural Sake Brewing Association, to which the brewery belongs, with the aim of raising the level of technology. We have begun to improve and cultivate brewers.
This is an unusual event in the whole country where the people and the government worked closely together to protect the sake brewing in Yamagata Prefecture, and this is an indispensable history for sake brewing in Yamagata Prefecture.
Characteristics of Yamagata sake
Yamagata's sake is characterized by the development of Junmai Ginjo Sake, which has all of rice, yeast, and water in Yamagata original, and is brewed with excellent technical skills polished together by the private and public sectors. Is proud of.
The rich water flowing from the famous peaks and the land raised by them produce the best rice.
Surrounded by the clear air of the cold season and the silver snow, delicious rice brews into sake. It boasts the highest number of gold medal prizes in appraisals and various contests, and it is convinced that Ginjo Kingdom Yamagata is still wanted.
It is noteworthy that sake in Yamagata Prefecture was designated by the National Tax Agency in 2016 as geographical indication GⅠ "Yamagata".
GⅠ is a system established to protect brands grown in the region, such as agricultural products and alcoholic beverages, and is protected as one of the intellectual property rights.However, sake is designated by prefecture only in Japan Is the first time in Yamagata.
In the mid-1990s, when Tanrei hot was at its peak, sweet ginjo sake, which had both fruity ginjo aroma and generous rice flavor, was born in Yamagata, and Yamagata's sake at a stretch attracted public attention.
The rise in the ratio of Ginjo sake has led to an increase in the number of sake with a rich flavor that is made from locally-grown rice with a rich aroma and is a characteristic of current Yamagata sake. .
7 Recommended Sake in Yamagata Prefecture
Fourteenth-generation Honmaru secret ball turn-on brewing
In the past, the XNUMXth generation was the one with the impact of trembling the Japanese sake market, which had previously been a “Tanrei”, “Dry” and “Junmai”.
This product, which was now a pioneer of the XNUMXth generation that has spread throughout Japan, has become a vision.
This sake was sold at a price of 2200 yen at that time, and has a fruity and mellow taste that is unlikely to be a true brew, and has made brewers and food and drink industry people nationwide groan.
It is still available for purchase at auctions, but the price is more than 20 times higher.
In addition, the XNUMXth generation is also known as Japan's highest priced sake with a premium price, and Junmai Daiginjo Ryusen, which is considered to be the best masterpiece, is available at a premium price of several hundred thousand yen. It is considered the most difficult.
Kuramoto is a long-established Takagi Sake Brewery founded in 1615, and until the birth of the XNUMXth generation, Asahi Taka was a flagship product.
Takagi Shugen, the XNUMXth generation of Takagi Sake Brewery, is a flagship product of Takagi Sake Brewery.
There are various brands in the XNUMXth generation, such as Shichirada XNUMX Kan, Bessen, Tokugin, Junmai Nakatori, but they are so popular that they are all difficult to obtain, and if you can taste it, you can say that you are lucky .
| Brand | Takagi Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon XNUMXth generation Honmaru secret ball return |
Dewa Sakura Sakura Ginjo
Speaking of Yamagata's classic sake, Dewa Sakura is a famous brand.
It has a plump and fruity Ginjo scent and a refreshing and refreshing taste, making it one of the most reputed to have created a Ginjo boom.
Since its sale in 1980, it has been popular for many years and has been used as a fragrance sample for luxury cosmetics.
Dewa Sakura Sake Brewery is a company that strives daily to make Ginjo Sake Brewery with Ginjo as the motto of the world language, and was founded in 25 (Meiji 1892).
In early 1997, the company also began exporting to overseas, and today it can be said to be the "Japanese SAKE" representing Japan, where you can enjoy Dewa Sakura in more than 25 countries around the world.
This is one of the highly evaluated books in Japan and abroad, such as winning the Grand Prix at the Wheezing Sake Appraisal.
| Brand | Dewa Sakura Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| website | http://www.dewazakura.co.jp |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon Dewa Sakura Sakura Ginjo |
White Rosary Pearl Special Junmaishu
Miyama Nishiki is a local sake rice that is favored by sake breweries nationwide. Junmai sake is made from a mixture of Miyama Nishiki and Dewa Sansan, and the deep water of Dewa Sanzan is added to the water, and Yamagata yeast is used in the water.
Junmai sake, which has been carefully aged at a low temperature close to the ice temperature and carefully aged for a long period of one year, is shipped with a distinctive fruity aroma and a refined sweetness and acidity aftertaste.
This is a selection of pure rice that won the gold prize at the Sake Awards 2015, which is delicious in a wine glass, and it can be said to be the perfect bottle for evening drinks.
Kuramoto is a bamboo-roto joint venture founded in 5. By "Shiratsuyu Shidetama" of this product, it was named by taking the name from the poem Li Bai, who was active in China Tang era was made impressed by the "Kume Domo exhausted unexpected natural beauty".
| Brand | Bamboo Russian Joint Stock Company |
| website | https://www.takenotsuyu.com/ |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon White Rosary Pearl |
Dewa Snow Snow Junmai
The sake brewery is located in Tsuruoka in 380, the Watarai Honten, which was founded in the first year of Genwa. The brewery is located in Tsuruoka. .
Dewa Snow is one of a series of products called “Uchi Drink Junmai Sake” that makes the daily dining table produced by the prestigious Sake Association of Japan happy.
A blend of two rice, Miyama Nishiki from Yamagata Prefecture and Kirari Dewa, used as raw materials.
Yuki Junmai is characterized by a gorgeous aroma different from Ginjo Sake, and a mouthfeel that is perfect with the expression of jazz.
In addition to Junmai, it is also a popular brand that has a snow goddess made with Dewa made by the Snow Goddess, which is popular all over the country as a suitable sake brewing rice from Yamagata Prefecture.
| Brand | Tokai Head Office |
| website | http://www.dewanoyuki.com/ |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon Dewa Snow |
Kamikimoto Junmai Dewa no Sato
Kamikimoto is a brand produced by Sakata Shuzo, the only brewery that has remained in Sakata City.
Junmai Dewa no Sato Dewa No Sato is the name of the best sake brewing rice that represents Yamagata.
The characteristic is that the white and opaque part at the center of the rice is white and opaque, so it is said that it is possible to make good quality sake without having to mill so much rice, and it is useful to many breweries .
It is this product, Juki Kamiki Junmai Dewa no Sato, that has a reputation for fully demonstrating the uniqueness of this Dewa no Sato.
Despite the fact that only 2% of the rice is polished, it is a pure-tasting sake that is easy to drink and has a clean taste.
The president himself also serves as Mr. Tori, and is also famous as a gold prize regular collection at the National Sake Review Association.
| Brand | Sakata Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| website | None |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon Kamimoto Junmai Dewa no Sato |
Masamune Yamagata Dry Junmai
Yamagata Sake has revolutionized the industry through the production of fruity sake, but there are many distinctive dry sake types that make a difference.
One of them is Masamune Yamagata Dry Junmai. It is a standard junmai sake, and the rich taste of rice spreads at the moment it is contained in the mouth, and the finish is sharp.
Even though it has been more than 10 years since its sale, dry Junmai is the one with the highest sales in Yamagata Masamune due to high demand in restaurants.
Pure rice liquor, like Kuroko, is exactly what Yamagata and many other restaurants need to complement your meal.
The brewery is Mitobe Sake Brewery, founded in 31. Mitobe Sake Brewery is committed to making pure rice using traditional techniques, and uses underflow water that contains plenty of minerals, a feature of the Ouyama system, as the water used for preparation.
Its hardness is 120 degrees. The use of hard water, which is rare in Japan, which is said to have a lot of soft water, is what makes the sharpness of Yamagata Masamune original.
| Brand | Mitobe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| website | http://www.mitobesake.com/ |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon Yamagata Masamune Dry Junmai |
Skilled Junmai Ginjo
Kudoki Seizo, whose brewery was built by Kamenoi Sake Brewery, founded in 8, is one of the sakes represented by Yamagata.
Located at the gate of Mt. Haguro, famous for Mt. Dewa, the brewery makes good use of the natural blessings of Mt.
The name of the brand was inspired by the Sengoku warlord who survived the Sengoku era and became a big power.
It is the real skill of the war that not only wins the battle, but also convinces with sincerity, and even a noble person who is hard to reach can become his own by unraveling his heart.
It was named Kudoki-Shi, because it was a sake sauce that fascinated people as if to melt their hearts.
Achieving refined taste and aroma using low acid yeast. The taste that can fully feel the taste of rice is one of the leading Yamagata sake.
Of course, not only taste and aroma, but also the impact of naming and label design using ukiyo-e attracted reputation, and it quickly grew into a sake nationwide.
It also sells super dry Ginjo Sake, which you can never imagine from the traditional image of Kudoki, and "Kudeki Good Bakken Ginjo Sake Super Dry +20" is also a hot topic like this product.
| Brand | Kamenoi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Amazon | Click here for Amazon Kudoki Jyunginjo |
How to get Yamagata sake
This is a way to get sake from Yamagata Prefecture, but you can easily buy it online, just like any other area.
Also, if you have a popular brand, you can find it more easily by finding a distributor and registering it in an e-mail magazine.
However, as introduced here, it is very difficult to obtain the "XNUMXth generation".
Even for a limited time sake, it has a premium price of over 10 yen, so it can be said that it is quite difficult for ordinary people to afford it.
Because it is too expensive to consider it as a gift, it is one of the levels that will make the gift recipient care.
Especially if you don't have enough knowledge about sake, we recommend that you start with affordable sake.
Come enjoy high-quality Yamagata sake
How was it.
Until then, Yamagata liquor, led by the XNUMXth generation, was one of the first to throw a stone in the world of Japanese sake, which was mostly dry.
It is no exaggeration to say that the sake revolution that took place in Yamagata Prefecture has enabled various types of sake to be produced all over the country and to be able to taste new sake.
Many of Yamagata's breweries do not have a homepage because they want to take care of the flood of orders and old relationships.
It is difficult to get the sake produced by these breweries, but there is no doubt that Yamagata sake is leading the industry today.
Why don't you try Yamagata sake, which has more than 50 breweries and is made while working hard every day?
