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MATSUOKA JŌZŌ

Establishment 1851

Established in 1851, this brewery has been awarded the Gold Medal at the Japan National Sake Appraisal eight times in a row, the highest achievement in Saitama Prefecture. The brewing water is mineral-rich underground water, naturally filtered through the limestone layers of Mount Chichibu. Using traditional craftsmanship, they brew MIKADOMATSU sake. Equally important is their commitment to developing innovative sake that aligns with modern trends while preserving the essence of their time-honored tradition.

COMMITMENT

Water is an essential part of Sake. Depending on the quality of water, the taste of Sake becomes a totally different one. This brewery is located in Ogawa-machi, known as the “best location of brewing” due to its high-quality water a long time ago. The hardness of this water is 127mg/ℓ; it’s unusually hard. It is one of the hardest water that is used for brewing Sake in Japan; however, it’s incredibly soft even despite hard water. By proceeding with the fermentation at a lower temperature than usual, Sake gets an especially profound richness. This amazing water is the center of the design of our brewing.

PRIZE

・第97回南部杜氏自醸清酒鑑評会優等賞受賞

・Awarded 97th Nanbu Toji Sake Appraisal

・Gold medal Japan National Sake Apprisal 8 times

・SAKE COMPETITION 2017 Silver Medal

・Awarded Omachi Summit 2017

RICE

We choose the best rice of the year. No matter where the rice is produced, we carefully select the best one matches with our design of brewing. We also proactively use the new brands such as TAMANAE (YAMASAKE No.4), and other local pesticide-free rice.

WATER

We use the underground water of Arakawa River drawn from 130M depth. Its hardness is 127mg/L, which is the hardest water in sake brewing industry.

SKILL

Mix the latest tech and proficient skill of Nanbu Tōji, and brew their original sake. By proceeding the fermentation under low temperature with using the 127mg/L hard water, we are trying to bring the smooth texture and beautiful aroma out.