Mikadomatsu's Commitment

Made from Natural minerals-rich water

Natural water rich in minerals from the Chichibu Mountains is used.

Water is the lifeblood of sake. The quality of sake can greatly change depending on the quality of the water.

Ogawa Town, where our brewery is located, has long been known as a "suitable place for sake brewing" and was also famous for its ability to extract high-quality water. The special brewing water used for Mikadomatsu sake is natural water filtered through the Chichibu Mountains, which are made up of limestone mountains formed by the uplift of the sea due to crustal movement. Rain that falls on the Chichibu Mountains is filtered through the limestone, flows through the mountains as groundwater, and travels underground in Ogawa Town over decades. Our brewery pumps this water from 130 meters underground and uses it as brewing water.

This water has a hardness of 149mg/ℓ, making it one of the hardest brewing waters in Japan. A survey by a certain alcoholic beverage wholesaler revealed that it has a higher hardness than "Miyamizu" in Nada, Hyogo Prefecture, which is known as the optimal brewing water for sake brewing, and is rich in minerals. However, when you actually drink this unique natural groundwater, you will feel that it is a mysterious water that is "soft despite being hard."

This mineral-rich natural water promotes the growth of yeast, creating a unique umami, sharpness, and roundness. Furthermore, by using a low-temperature fermentation tank in conjunction, fermentation can be carried out slowly at a lower temperature than usual, resulting in sake with the unique mellowness and depth of Teimatsu.

Rice polishing that eliminates off-flavors and brings out the characteristics of the rice.

Our brewery has always been particular about the "rice" used as an ingredient for sake brewing. Each rice has its own unique umami and aroma, and we use carefully selected rice from all over Japan, such as "Yamada Nishiki" from Hyogo Prefecture, "Bizen Omachi" from Okayama Prefecture, "Sake Musashi" from Saitama Prefecture, and "Yamashu No. 4 (commonly known as Tamanae)" from Yamagata Prefecture, depending on the desired sake quality.

For sake brewing, we use "sake-specific rice," which has larger grains than the rice you normally eat. Rice for meals is polished about 7-8% from its brown rice state, but our brewery polishes at least 30% or more. The reason for polishing rice is that the surface of the rice is rich in nutrients such as protein, which can cause off-flavors in the sake. To produce sake with a high aroma and umami, it is necessary to polish the rice. However, if it is polished too much, the "flavor" of the rice, such as its unique characteristics, will be lost. Therefore, we polish the rice to the extent that it maximizes its deliciousness while carefully assessing its characteristics.

Thorough management of "fermentation," the lifeline of sake.

The "fermentation tank" is the equipment that manages fermentation, the lifeline of sake brewing. In our brewery, we meticulously control the temperature using the latest low-temperature fermentation tanks and computers to ensure that the toji (master brewer) can maintain the target temperature range. This tank has a double-layered structure, with cold water circulating through the outer part. By thoroughly controlling the temperature with this mechanism, we control "fermentation."

Depending on the type of sake, fermentation takes about 50 days, counting from the start of yeast cultivation. As mentioned above, the brewing water contains minerals that promote yeast growth, so by slowly fermenting at a lower temperature using this tank, we can produce sake with a fruity aroma and a unique mellowness.

Pressing that maintains aroma and umami.

Our brewery uses a large filter-type pressing machine. This is to prevent the moromi from being exposed to air and losing the unique aroma characteristic of high-quality sake such as ginjo-shu. This pressing machine has aluminum plates and rubber plates arranged alternately, and is structured to tighten the moromi with hydraulic pressure to prevent it from spilling. By flowing the moromi between these plates, it can be pressed without any contact with air. Freshly pressed nama genshu (unpasteurized undiluted sake) and ginjo-shu are immediately stored in a refrigerator, and other sakes are sent to the storage room to await maturation. For daiginjo-shu, we use a traditional method called "fukurotsuri" (bag hanging), in which the moromi is pressed only by its own weight.

Two types of fungi that make sake.

There are two important fungi for making sake: "koji" and "yeast." "Koji" is a type of mold that converts starch in rice into sugar. "Yeast" consumes the sugar produced by koji and produces alcohol and umami components.

*When yeast produces alcohol, it also produces carbon dioxide. This is why new sake contains carbonation.

There are various types of koji mold and yeast, but our brewery uses them according to the desired sake quality, just like sake rice. Controlling the action of "koji" and "yeast" is the secret to making delicious sake, so we work with the utmost care.