We aim to produce a supreme sake with a meal.
We aim for production of a supreme sake with a meal.
Our slogan at the brewery is "the making sakes with the customers in mind".
With fucus on Junmaishu and Junmai Ginjoshu, we aim to brew sakes that become tastier with every cup.
About us
We are located in Saijo city, Ehime prefecture which is famous for its pristine water produced at the foot of Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest peak in the western Japan. We use this beautiful water for sake brewing and the Saijo-Shuso plain all around our brewery; therefore, we are in the ideal environment for sake brewing.
We are a family-oriented brewery founded in 1920. It has been over 20 years since we had stopped inviting a Toji, a chief sake brewer, in 1999. Based on our ingenuity in brewing fine sakes, everyone in the brewery works together to make Ishizuchi Sakes with a firm conviction in reliability and polite service.
(1) Rice Washing/ Soaking/ Steaming
We express our passion in making sakes by brewing with our own hands, something that cannot be achieved through a line of workers in a big factory. In processing the raw material, rice washing and soaking are carried out with the utmost care. It is all based on the data gathered every year concerning the varieties and properties of raw rice that determines how quickly we can accommodate the new crops and their properties each year. In recent years, steaming is mainly performed by indirect injection of boiler steam with two aluminum steaming vats, one for fermentation starter / koji rice and the other for kake rice. On average, these steaming vats absorb 11-12% of the weight of white rice. We can obtain steamed rice which is fragrant and handles this process well.
(2) Koji Making
We use the Tarai koji method to make koji (malted rice), and we try to produce a Tsukihaze-type ginjo koji by using koji box. Before bringing it into the koji room, the heat is removed from the steamed rice without a cooler and divided into portions of about 12 kg steamed rice at a temperature of ~ 45 degrees. A bed of rice is spread out on the koji making machine in order to remove moisture and to achieve the target moisture level for innoculation of koji spores. The next day the koji is all moved to Tarai for final mixing of koji and fresh koji is brought in from the koji room. We take enough time for this procedure to always create a koji that works until the latter half of the mash (moromi). With the Tarai koji method, we need to take time after crossing the 40 degree line, to make the rich koji.
(3) Fermentation Starter/ Moromi/ Pressing
After obtaining a suitable yeast culture to seed the sokujo (quick fermentation step), it is transferred to mash and then fermented at a low temperature of 5 to 12 degrees over time. The average time period for this step (to produce the "moromi") is about 30 days. Because it is made from pure rice, the mashing period is set a little longer, all the while checking the appearance of the mash, its taste and aroma, and the analytical values until it is fully mature in the upper tank.
In the upper tank process, the sake tank was changed after 2001. The moromi mash to be manufactured is squeezed in a liquor tank. For this step, an automatic squeezing machine was introduced in 2017. The upper tank is placed in a pressing refrigerator to create a stable and high-quality brewing environment. With the goal of brewing sake that can be enjoyed with meals, we aim to produce "Ishizuchi" that is tasty and well balanced with acidity.
Characteristics of sake brewing water
Ishizuchi Brewery is in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture. Saijo City has long been known for its excellent water that flows continuously from the Ishizuchi Mountains, highest peaks in western Japan. This water has been chosen twice in consecutive years by the "National Delicious Water Appraisal" sponsored by the Ministry of Environment of Japan. Our super soft water for sake brewing springs from a well in the brewery. The clear aroma, and refreshing velvety softness of the finished sake are thought to be derived from this brewed water.
Commitment to rice
It is an important consideration to understand the characteristics of the varieties of raw rice used that reflect the unique flavor of the rice in sake, especially in junmaishu. Most of the rice used for koji rice is suitable for sake brewing. We use Yamada Nishiki produced in Hyogo and Tokushima prefectures. Regarding Yamada Nishiki produced in Tokushima Prefecture, where rice cultivation in Awa Town is under the guidance of Professor Masaharu Nagatani, they very much appreciate our field visits three times a year (rice planting, fertilization, harvesting) during rice production.
