Kumano Sake Brewery
A sake brewery where the sea stretches out in front of you.
There are high expectations for the young master brewer who learned brewing techniques and traditions from a Tajima master brewer.
The predecessor to this brewery was "Kameya," which was founded in 1918. Due to post-war turmoil in Japan, sake breweries were merged, and the current Kumano Sake Brewery was born. It is located on the southernmost coast of Kumihama Bay and uses the name "Kumi no Ura" for its sake because of the panoramic view of the bay. Chief brewer Tajima had been making popular sake for generations, but now Tatsuro Kakimoto, the new chief brewer, has taken the reigns. While inheriting traditional brewing techniques, he is particular about brewing sake that adds to their character. Most of the processes of carefully preparing local sake rice for celebration is done by hand in the old warehouse using gohyaku mangoku rice and high-quality food-grade Koshihikari rice. As a result, each sake has a unique taste.
From the head brewer:
"Even though I became a chief brewer, I'm still young, and training and studying every day. When the previous chief brewer was considering retiring, I decided to return home and take on learning the techniques to brew sake. We continue to build on the belief that “learning is imitating”, but the state of fermentation of rice and the unrefined sake mash is different every year, so it is necessary to make fine adjustments that rely on intuition during the work. In addition, customer preferences are constantly changing, so we are constantly considering new endeavors."
a mini tasting:
Junmai Ginjo (a master brewer's soliloquy)
It was born about 20 years ago when a brewer thought about making sake using local high-quality koshihikari rice. The soliloquy on the label changes every year.
720ml 1,310 yen (tax included)
Kuminoura Iwai Junmai
An ultra-dry pure rice sake made solely from Kyoto's original sake rice "Iwai". A masterpiece resulting from a master brewer who knows how to bring out the most of a rice that takes a high amount of skill to brew with.
720ml 1,320 yen (tax included)
Kuminoura Junmai Daiginjo
A gem hand-made using only Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo, this sake was made possible by closely attending to every step of the brewing process during the coldest months of the year. The result is a sake that is smooth, refreshing, and aromatic.
720ml 2,330 yen (tax included)