New Horizons, New Frontiers: Michizakura [Sake Diary]

Hello again, sake fans.
It's been a while since my last sake diary.
The brand I'm introducing today is "Michizakura".
Michizakura is a brand that is both new and historic.

Huh? What does that mean? New and historic?

I'll explain as we go.
If you're not interested in sake, please feel free to skip this. Haha.

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You need a license to brew sake. It's not a beer brewing license, nor is it for wine, shochu, or whiskey. You need a license specifically for brewing sake.
If you want to make alcohol, you need a separate license tailored to the type of alcohol. It's complicated, isn't it?

It would be a disaster if chef's licenses worked that way. If you wanted to open a ramen shop, you'd need a "Chinese cuisine chef's license," for tempura bowls a "Japanese cuisine license," and if you wanted to serve curry or hamburger steaks too... well, if it were like that, you'd never be able to create a new menu!

But in the world of sake brewing, this is common sense.

Just because craft beer is popular, you can't just decide to brew beer too!

And what makes it complicated is the definition of sake. If you add citrus fruits during the sake brewing process to ferment them... even though the manufacturing method is the same as sake, it becomes an alcohol classified as "other brewed liquor." Yes, that requires a different license again.

How complicated, how complicated (in the style of Mansai Nomura).

And then there's the sake industry, protected by vested interests. It's hard to deny that this is the situation. In fact, new sake brewing licenses are not issued (with rare exceptions). I want to ferment rice, but they won't issue the license!

This has become a barrier to entry for the sake industry.

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A-N-D Y-E-T !

You can transfer a sake license. So, if you want to brew sake in your own town, you need to get an existing sake brewery to move there.

You need a passionate love call.

One of the breweries that answered a passionate love call and came to the cold climate of Hokkaido is "Michizakura," which I am introducing today. While the number of sake breweries nationwide has been gradually decreasing recently, they are increasing in Hokkaido. Hokkaido is hot! The future of sake is the era of Hokkaido!

Phew, phew.
I got all worked up too. Let me calm down.

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Teen, ti-ti-ri-ti-ti-teen tone, cha-cha-la-cha, cha-cha-chaan (in the style of NHK's Koshien alma mater introduction).

Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido.
A town rich in nature with clean water, where you can live even without a public water supply. A town that promotes itself as a town of photography, where everywhere you look is photogenic and exciting. Drawn to such a town, the number of people moving there is increasing. It is the municipality that has achieved the highest population growth in Hokkaido.

When water is abundant, the rice is also delicious.

If the water, rice, and air are all delicious, then the sake made from them is bound to be delicious too.

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Thanks for waiting!
The brand I'm introducing today is a sake brewed with sake rice (Suisei) harvested in the local town of Higashikawa, Hokkaido, and the local famous water.

Ta-da!
Suisei-fifty-five (in the style of Doraemon)

On my recent trip to Hokkaido I encountered this along with some shishamo nigiri. I wanted to drink it again, so I clicked 'buy'.

For Suisei 55, only the 1.8L bottles were left on the brewery's online shop. It seems it was the last one, and now it is completely SOLD OUT. Just made it in time!

I line up the Michizakura in the fridge and grin.

With this, the holiday season is secure, meow.

Now, let's drink!

I take out the blue Suisei, open the cap, pour it into a glass, and bring the glass to my nose. A floral scent that reminds me of early summer in Hokkaido. It brings to mind a field of pretty white flowers. However, when I continue to drink, the scent changes... from a flower field to freshly cooked rice... the aroma of fluffy rice emerges.

When I take a sip, a refreshing acidity that matches the aroma and a gentle, understated sweetness spread through my mouth. Then, as if it were a little bonus at the end, a touch of bitterness appears. These notes of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness fade away smoothly. It is a sake with a very crisp finish. In its place, the sweet umami of the rice spreads throughout my mouth, just like freshly cooked rice. This is the true identity of the scent I felt earlier.

When enjoyed with food, the aroma and sweetness fade even more, and the umami of the rice stands out. It is a gentle sake to have with a meal. It is easy to pair with various dishes, whether Japanese or Western. I think it goes well with dishes that have a gentle, non-aggressive flavor.

For Japanese food, rolled omelet or a fatty tuna roll would be good. Tempura would also be nice. For Western food, maybe a light cream stew of white fish, or perhaps olives and Camembert cheese.

It seems like it will be very useful from Christmas dishes to New Year's dishes.
Wait, will the sake even last that long...?

This winter, the brewery will begin its third brewing season since relocating.
I feel like I'm going to click 'buy' again...

<Information>
Brand: Michizakura Junmai Ginjo Suisei 55
Alcohol content: 15%
Rice polishing ratio: 55%
Ingredients: Suisei (grown in Higashikawa, Hokkaido)
Rating: ★★★★
Sweetness 3, Acidity 3, Bitterness 2, Umami 4, Aroma 3
Price: 3,700 yen (1800ml), Cost performance: ◎

(The End)