You Pouch reports on another sake crowdfunding project (not sure if the news alerts I get are somehow biased towards crowdfunding…) – this time a brewery from Akita Prefecture using yeast from the area’s distinctive white lavender.
The sake is made with the sake-specific rice Misato Nishiki, natural yeast from the rare white lavender known as Misato Sekka (美郷雪華, snowy flower of the beautiful hometown), and water from the Egao Shimizu spring.
The town of Misato has the largest number of lavender plants in Tohoku, around 20,000, which bloom in June and July every year. The naturally-occurring yeast was first successfully cultivated by Mr Furuuchi, master brewer at local brewery Takahashi Shuzoten.
Supporters of the project on the Makuake site get at 720 ml bottle of the finished sake, but what does one made with white lavender yeast taste like? You might think lavender, but instead the result is fruity and refreshing like a muscat wine.
Egao Shimizu is one of a group of six springs known as rokugo-mizu which were selected as one of the top 100 famous water sources in Japan (they do seem to have a top 100 of almost everything). The sake-specific rice Misato Nishiki is a cross between the famous Yamada Nishiki and Miyama Nishiki varieties.
Links
- Original article (Japanese, You Pouch, 3 January 2018)
- Takahashi Shuzoten (Japanese)