#fukumitsuya

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery 福光屋

Set in 1625 it is the oldest brewery from Kanazawa. They only produce Junmai 純米 Sake, this means they make it using rice and mineral water only, no additional distilled alcohol is added. Only 20% of the total production of Japan is Junmai Sake.

They proudly claim they use Hyakunensui 百年水 water, this means it goes at least 100 years slowly filtering through deep underground nourishing on minerals necessary for fermentation.

On the factory’s entrance they hang a new Shimenawa 注連縄 every year before making the year’s sake. This sacred rope is seen in Shrines, it’s a frontier between earth and the realm of goods. Also it is believed to exclude evil spirits.

Starting with brown rice the rice polishing ratio (RPR) is about 40-50%, this means rice is polished between 50-60% of outer grain. The outer layer of rice grain contains proteins, lipids and other components which could affect the flavor of sake.