11/5/08: Day 6 in Japan Part II - Water and Rice of Také No Tsuyu

This entry will focus on the water and rice of Také No Tsuyu Brewery.

今回は竹の露の命と言われる水と米の説明。

WATER・水

What do carp in a pond has to do with the water? Actually, a lot. Také No Tsuyu has been using city water sourced from Mt. Gassan, which was ideal for brewing sakés.

Unfortunately, the city changed source of water to the detriment of the brewery about 7 years ago. Right around this time, an developer was digging a deep well in the adjoinig property to find onsen hot spring to open up a spa.

Tapping well water can be risky. Depending on the water pressure, the water could slowly reach the surface, or aggressively gush out like a geyser. In this case, the latter took place. Unfortunately for Aisawa-san, he quickly found out that carp were not as fond of the concept of hot spring as us.

Rather than seeking compensation for the now extinct fleet of carp, Aisawa-san asked for the soil data from excavation.

この鯉にはある意味がある。2001年までは、竹の露は月山から流れてくる市導水で酒造りを行っていた。7年前、市は水を酒造りに不適切なのに切り替えた。丁度その頃、建築会社が隣の土地で温泉用の井戸を深く掘っていた。

湧き出てくる水は、圧力により勢いが変わる。この場合、激しい勢いで水が沸き、竹の露も含め辺りは洪水の状態。この時、相沢さんは鯉は人間と違い温泉と合わない事実に気が付いた。

相沢さんは賠償金の代わりに、建築会社から土のデータを要求した。

When the water runs through the ground, the different sediment layers behave like a filter. Therefore, understanding how these sediments are layered can help predict the quality of the water. Aisawa-san prefers to use soft water, and he eyed depth of 300m (984').

The photograph is of this water inside the holding tank. Aisawa-san estimates that the water has been resting inside Mt. Gassan for 5,000 years. The inner wall of the holding tank is white, and the aqua color of the water seems unreal. (Color of the photo has not been altered in any way.)

This refreshing yet soft and delicious water is the basis of Také No Tsuyu sakés since 2002.

土は水が流れると各レイヤーがフィルターみたいな役目になる。そのレイヤーの仕組みを分析すれば湧き水の質が大体解る。相沢さんは柔らかい軟水を望み、その水が300メータの深さにあると読んだ。

この写真は300メータの深さから湧いてきた仕込水、「天然弱アルカリ無菌超軟水」。月山の中に5000年眠っていた水。貯蔵タンクの中は真っ白で、それに対した水色の水はまるで嘘みたい。(写真の色の調整は一切していません。)

このスッキリしながら柔らかく美味しい仕込水が竹の露の味を2002年から支えている。

RICE・酒米

Také No Tsuyu uses local rice for their sakés. They include, among others, Dewa No Yuki, Miyamanishiki, Kairyo Shinko, Kyo No Hana, Yamadanishiki harvested in Tsuruoka, Dewasansan, and Kamé No O. Aisawa-san studies the protein content of the rice every year, and determine appropriate polishing ratio for each rice. Lack of adequate milling means poor water absorption, making it difficult for koji mold to access protein. On the other hand, polishing too much results in extremely mushy conditions. If rice distintegrates to a point it coats other bits of rice, then koji mold will feast on the outer coat and not reach the protein.
竹の露は現地栽培の米を中心に酒造りを行っている。主な種類は出羽の里、美山錦、改良信交、京の華、鶴岡山田錦、出羽燦々、亀の尾。毎年、米の心拍に応じて精米歩合の調整を行う。磨くのが足りなければ給水率が落ちその分、麹菌が心拍に混ざらない恐れがある。磨き過ぎたら澱粉が蕩け、他の米粒に余計なコートを塗る。この場合、麹菌は外側のコートに食いつき、心拍にたどり着かない。

Before polishing, there is a process to unify size. This process is handled by a machine called grader, which acts like a coarse mesh filter. Due to fine harvest, Aisawa-san is using Dewasansan rice that is at least 2.10mm instead of the usual 2.00 mm.
精米する前に、グレーダーと呼ばれる回転網を使い、米のサイズを統一される。ちなみに、今年の出羽燦々は素晴らしい粒張で仕上がったため、通常の2.00mmサイズを上まる「A網2.10mmサイズ」で整粒されました。

From this point on, I'll explain the late night work. The timing of my visit coincided with cultivation of koji for daiginjo. This is the daiginjo koji resting.
ここからは深夜の作業に関する説明。私が訪れた時は、大吟醸の麹を仕込んでいた。これが麹室で準備されてる麹。

Every one hour and half, brewers mix the koji rice to balance out the temperature and moisture. The box is tapped twice on the left, right, top, then bottom before the rice is spread out evenly. According to Aisawa-san, the one-and-half hour shift coincides with the human sleep cycle. Each shift lasts 2 weeks.
毎晩、一時間半おきに蔵人が麹の作業を行う。この作業は、箱を二回左、右、上、下と叩き、麹を平らに整える。麹に快適な温度と湿度を保つ必要な調整である。相沢さんによれば、一時間半の作業は人間の睡眠パターンに合う。蔵人は2週間おきに交代しながら作業を続ける。

I gave this a try, but it was more difficult than it seemed. Aisawa-san's advice was to imagine "Karesansui," which is a formation of the Zen rock garden.

私も挑戦してみたが、意外と難しい。相沢さんは「KCさん、枯山水を思い浮かべて下さい」とアドバイスを与えてくれた。

Does this remind you of the rock garden?
枯山水に似てますか?

At Také No Tsuyu, saké is brewed in a clean environment by brewers dedicated to their craft. In a way, I got to witness the old Japanese spirit in the form of their careful craftmanship and determination. As a Japanese, nothing makes me more proud than to see the old Japanese spirit and tradition kept alive by these craftsmen.

Anytime I enjoy Také No Tsuyu sakés, I can fully appreciate the water, rice, and people (Japanese spirit) of Yamagata. What more can I ask?

竹の露では清潔な環境で蔵人が酒造りに一心に励んでいる。プロセスには近道を通らず、丁寧に作業している根性は現代の大和魂と言ってもおかしくない。蔵人の姿を見ると、私は日本人として生まれて良かったと思う。

毎回竹の露を飲む度、山形の水、米、人(魂)を思い浮かべる。私にしては、これ以上贅沢なことは無い。

11/5/08: Day 6 in Japan Part I - Visiting Také No Tsuyu Brewery

After a nice morning dip in the onsen hot spring, I was on my way to Akita Station to board Shinkansen. On my agenda today is visiting Také No Tsuyu Brewery, located in Haguro Village in the city of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture. Welcoming me at Tsuruoka Station was Aisawa-san.

今朝は温泉に入り、秋田駅へ。今日は竹の露合資会社の見学の為、山形県鶴岡市羽黒町へ向う予定。鶴岡駅では相沢さんがお迎えに来てくれた。

First thing we did after arriving at the brewery was to go out for lunch. Aisawa-san chose a local restaurant located amidst rice paddies, known for their hand-made soba. "Yama No Sobaya" specializes in thick and coarse "inaka-style" soba. We ordered the hot version, with its generous topping of roast pork and fried tofu. The combination of flavorful soup and firm texture of the soba was simply out of this world.
蔵元に到着したら真っ先にランチ。相沢さんのお勧めは田んぼに囲まれた「山の蕎麦屋」で田舎蕎麦。蕎麦は自家栽培で、ジューシーなチャーシューと油揚げ付き。味が確りした蕎麦汁と蕎麦の歯ごたえが最高。

Mr. and Mrs. Aisawa in front of the entrance to the brewery.
相沢夫婦と蔵の前で記念写真。

My first impression about Také No Tsuyu is extremely clean. That is not to say that other breweries are filthy, but at Také No Tsuyu, nothing seemed out of place.
蔵の印象と言えば、清潔感が溢れる。これは決して他の蔵が不潔と言う事では無く、竹の露の全てがキッチリされているからだ。

The first place Aisawa-san showed me was the tank where they keep well water. (The next entry will be dedicated to the water and rice of Také No Tsuyu.) Needless to say, Aisawa-san takes great pride in his water.
蔵の見学は水の説明から始まった。これが井戸水の貯蔵タンク。(次のポストは竹の露の水・米の詳しい説明。)相沢さんの話を聞くと、「水は命」の意味が十分解る。

This machine steams then cools the rice.
米を蒸してから冷やすマシーン。

Tank for the yeast starter. The aroma is quite something.
酒母タンク。酒母の香りも最高。

Nestled in the back of the brewery are fermentation tanks.
蔵の置くには仕込みのタンクが。

Right outside this room is a bamboo forest that inspired the name of the brewery (loosely translated as, "Bamboo Dew.") The shade offered by bamboo forest and cool draft descending Mt. Gassan provide ideal environment for aging and storing saké, even over the summer.
仕込みタンク部屋を囲んでいるのは蔵の名前の由来になる竹林。竹林の木陰と月山おろしが夏でも醗酵・貯蔵に快適な環境を作ってくれる。

This machine manages cultivation of koji mold. Their data management is very meticulous.
これは純米酒用の麹を管理する機械。竹の露ではデータの管理も徹底している。

Daiginjo-grade koji mold is manually managed by brewers in koji room in the 2nd floor.
大吟醸用の麹は2階の麹室で。勿論、職人の手作業。

After the tour, I went to onsen hot spring, then Aisawa-san took us for sushi dinner. Také No Tsuyu sakés went exceptionally well with the finely prepared sashimi by the sushi master of Happo Sushi. As we came straight from the hot springs, we don't have pictures for obvious reasons. After returning to brewery, we prepared for some evening work. Of course, preparation involved indulging in Hakuro Suishu sakés...
見学の後は先ず温泉。入浴後は和服へ着替えて、すし屋へ向かった。「八方すし」はマスターが繊細な腕を披露し、刺身と「竹の露」のお酒は最高のペアリング。温泉から直接向かったので、残念だが写真は無い。蔵に戻ったら、夜の作業の準備。その意味は「はくろすいしゅを」を飲むことであった...

11/4/08: Day 5 in Japan Part II - Akita Nagaya Sakaba

At the end of Ama No To event held in Akita City on Day 3, we went to a great saké bar. As I am spending the night in the same Akita City before traveling to Yamagata, it goes without saying that I'll enjoy my drinks at Akita Nagaya Sakaba.

日本到着して3日目の夜、秋田市で行われた天の戸応援会の次に。最高な居酒屋に立ち寄った覚えがある。山形県へ向かう途中の今晩は秋田市で一泊するので、一杯する場所は言うまでも無く秋田長屋酒場。

Namahagé mask is used for a year-end festival to ward off evil spirits.
日本三大祭の一つと認められている「なまはげ」のマスク。

I wonder what saké I should drink... let me think long and hard...
この居酒屋ではどのお酒を注文するべきか、迷いますな～。

As I was by myself, I sat at the counter seat. In the middle is a hibachi grill.
今晩は1人なので、カウンター席で。七輪も設備されている。

No, this is not a corn dog. It's acutally a miso-grilled Kiritanpo, a famous Akita cuisine made using Akita Komachi rice. It went very well with all three sakés I ordered (Kariho Rokushu, Ama No To Umashiné, Ama No To Junkara.) I ordered Kariho (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.7, Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 57%), as they were out of Ama No To "Kamé No O Shikomi" Junmai Ginjo. Kariho was excellent: refreshing, crisp, and clean. 　
秋田名物のキリタンポ味噌田楽。この一品は今晩飲んだ三種類のお酒全部に合った(刈穂「六舟」吟醸、天の戸「美稲」、天の戸「純辛」。) 売り切れの天の戸「亀の尾仕込み」純米吟醸生の代わりに頼んだ刈穂「六舟」 (日本酒度 ＋５、酸度 １．7、原料米 美山錦、精米歩合 57％)はスッキリ感がする爽やかな辛口。

The onsen hotel I am staying includes dinner, so I ended my visit with butter- sauteed maitaké mushrooms cooked in aluminum foil.
泊まる温泉ホテルは夕食込みなので、ここでの注文はやや軽めで。〆は「舞茸ホイルバター焼き」。


Luckily for me, the staff remembered me from two nights ago, and were extremely friendly and kind with their services. With great food, saké selection and friendly staff, I would highly recommend this restaurant if you're in Akita.
店のスタッフさん達が私を覚えていてくれて、とても親切なサービスに恵まれました。美味い郷料理と地酒、親切なサービス、本当に最高の一晩でした。秋田市に行かれる方々には是非お勧めの居酒屋。

11/4/08: Day 5 in Japan Part I: Nanbu Bijin Experience

Today called for another early wake up, this time at 6:30 am. Today's agenda is to tour Nanbu Bijin Brewery. In addition, Kuji-san has arranged for me to participate in parts of the brewing process, something I've seen but never done before.

To see Nanbu Bijin's account of my visit, please click here.

今朝も6:30の早起き。今日は南部美人の見学で、久慈さんが酒造にも手を触らしてくれる。今まででは酒造りは十分拝見しているが、手伝うのは初経験になる。

この件は南部美人さんのブログにも書き込まれましたので、ご参考下さい。

The first thing Matumori Brewmaster did was to check the tanks and gather data.
最初には松森杜氏が醗酵中のタンクをチェックし、データの取得。

The fermentation in this tank is very vibrant. To control the fermentation, they've added extra lip to the tank as well as machine that pops the bubbles to keep from overflowing.
このタンクは結構アクティブ。泡が溢れるのを抑える為、タンクには木のふちと泡を潰す機械が設備された。

Here, I find the tag for Tank #1 which we got to taste last night. It says, "October 8, Batch #1, Shiboritaté Nama."
昨夜搾って飲んだ第一号の札を発見。

Tank #7 is a Tokubetu Junmai Nama slated to be shipped to the US. Fermentation began 10 days after Batch #1.
アメリカ用のタンクは第7号。仕込みは1号から10日後に始まった。

My first assignment is to mix the mash.
最初の仕事はモロミを混ぜる作業。

Mixing the new batch is a very hard work, as it is mostly solid,.
仕込み始めたばかりのモロミは硬いので、かき混ぜるのには相当な体力が必要。

After the rice is steamed...
酒米は蒸してから...

it is shoveled into...
スコップで...

a machine where...
ある機械へ放り投げ込まれ...

it is cooled then separated by the brewers.
コンベヤーを通り冷やされ、蔵人に解される。

The rice is then packed into sacks, and sent upstairs to the Koji Room.
解された米は袋に詰められ、2階の麹室へ。

Nanbu Bijin uses silk sack instead of can when sprinkling Koji mold. This task is tougher than it looks. To sprinkle the mold, you must maintain the right rhythm. I was so focused and tight during my first attempt that I was actually told, “you know, you really ought to breathe.” To appreciate the difficulty, put three quarters in a dress sock, and shake it so that the quarters bounce and make sharp clinking sound each time.
南部美人は麹菌を蒔く時には缶ではなくシルクの袋を使う。これは見た目よりハードな仕事。振るタイミングが崩れると菌は出ない。振っている途中に“あなた、息した方が良いですよ”と言われるほど自分は緊張していた。実験としては、100円玉3個ソックスに入れ、しっかり「カチン!カチン!」と音が出る様、上下に振ってみよ。

Working in the Koji Room made the biggest impression. After sprinkling the koji mold, the job was to mix the rice and manage the temperature. We used digital thermometer to track temperature, and brewers made small adjustments by opening and closing the door. They really live in a world where a mere half a degree makes difference. When the koji rice is down to about 32.5C, then it is neatly wrapped for resting.
麹室の仕事の印象が深く残った。麹菌を蒔く作業の直後は米のかき混ぜと温度の調整。麹米は常にデジタル温度計で温度を測り、室のドアを開けたりしながら妙な温度調整を行う。この作業は0.5℃の勝負と言ってもおかしくない。32.5℃未満に下がった時、丁寧に包み、しばらく寝かせる。

Although I don’t have the photo, the next assignment was making boxes for shipping. This was low pressure job by comparison, but in the worst case, screwing up here can result in breakage and waste all the previous efforts. Thus, the importance of this job cannot be understated.
写真は撮ってないが、次の仕事は出品用の箱作り。これは比較的にはプレッシャーが低いけど、最悪な場合はビンが割れ酒が台無しになる。酒造りのプロセスとしては欠かせない重要な作業。

After boxing, we had lunch. Because last night’s ramen was a huge hit with the gang, Kuji-san asked the kitchen to make the Nanbu Bijin-style ramen. My first serving was the traditional soy ramen, while the second was miso. The soup was rich and balanced, and exactly what we needed.
箱作りの後は昼飯。実は、昨夜ラーメンで皆が相当盛り上がった為、久慈さんが蔵の厨房へ南部美人風のラーメンを申し込んだ。蔵人大感激。最初の一杯は醤油ラーメンで、二杯目は味噌ラーメン。汁もこくがありバランスが良く、最高の味。

After extended lunch break, I assisted in preparing rice for steaming the next day. As there are several layers in the steamer, my job was to make sure each layer was evenly distributed.
休みの後は翌日に蒸す米の準備。これは米を4～5枚のレイヤーにして蒸すため、丁寧に広げる作業。

Posing ith Kuji-san. My work day ended around 5:00 pm, as I had to go catch a train to Akita City.

As I am traveling from Ninohé to Akita City, I kept thinking of how people throughout the trip has been very generous in welcoming me into their domain and letting me participat in these rare experiences. I will forever be grateful to everyone.

久慈さんとポーズ。仕事は5時で上がり、秋田市へ向かう準備をした。

新幹線の中で振り返って見れば、私は非常にラッキーであると感じた。何所でも私を歓迎してくれ、更に普段には出来ないことを色々と経験させてもらった。皆様へのご恩は一生忘れませぬ。

　

11/3/08: Day 4 in Japan Part IV: Drinking with Nanbu Bijin Brewers

After lunch, I made 2:45 trip to the city of Ninohé in the neighboring Iwaté Prefecture to visit Kuji-san from Nanbu Bijin Brewery. While the brewery tour will take place the following day, the night was reserved for socializing with the brewers.

After checking in at the nearby hotel, Kuji-san picked me up for the festivities.

昼食後の予定は南部美人の久慈さんへ会いに岩手県二戸市へ2:45の旅。蔵元見学は明日だが、今晩は蔵人と一杯する予定。

ホテルのチェックインが後り、久慈さんと蔵へ向かった。

Coincidentally, they were just starting to press their saké today. As luck would have it, this is the very first lot of the year. I had the honor of tasting first saké as it was being pressed. I have not tasted a saké that is more livelier.
偶然に今日から新酒を搾り始めていた。つまり、今年の第一号である。やぶたから搾られているの生酒をそのまま味わうのは初体験。これほど味が生きている酒は飲んだことが無い。

After freshly squeezed saké, we toasted to Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi. I also opened the bottle of Mansaku No Hana Junmai Daiginjo "Kamé No O" Hiyaoroshi I received from Sato-san for comparison. Nanbu Bijin was cleaner and drier, while Mansaku No Hana was softer and fruitier.
「しぼりたて」の後には純米吟醸の「ひやおろし」で乾杯。私も今朝に佐藤さんから頂いた「純米大吟醸 亀の尾 ひやおろし」を開け、「ひやおろし」の飲み比べを行った。南部美人はスッキリ感の辛口で、まんさくの花はフルーティーで優しい味だった。

At Nanbu Bijin, there is one gentleman who is responsible for serving saké warm. Sugahara-san stretches the limit of the concept of "kan," coming up with creative ideas. To convince me, he served junmai nigori warm (pictured) and even 2003 Koshu. The common thread between two sakés were that warmth rounds out acidity to make it more approachable. I must say that I was definitely enlightened!
南部美人では一人、「お燗番」と言われる方がいる。菅原氏はお燗のコンセプトを常に勉強し、普段では予想しない様なお酒も出してくれた。燗をあんまり飲まない僕を説得する為に準備して頂いたのがこの「純米にごり」と2003年の古酒。お互いの共通点と言えば、燗は酸味を押さえ、味をまろやかにしてくれた。お蔭様で燗には目覚めました!

Later on, Kuji-san brought out Aiyama Junmai Ginjo. It had gentle and round flavors of rice and straight forward and clean flavor. In NY, this saké is available exclusively at Sushi of Gari.
後で登場したのが「純米吟醸 愛山」。米のまろやかな香りと癖が無いきれいな味。これはNYではSushi of Gariだけしか飲めない限定品。

Some brewers of Nanbu Bijin. The staff is relatively young compared with other breweries. To the left is Matsumori-san, the Brewmaster.
南部美人の蔵人は比較的に若め。左は杜氏の松森氏。

Running into the room shouting, "I want some saké!" is none other than Kuji-san's son, Taiyo.
「酒のみて～！」と駆け込んできた久慈さんの息子太陽くん。

The dinner consisted of various sashimi and skewers. The highlight is the hand-made ramen delivered from local restaurant, a taste Kuji-san grew up with. Mild yet complex soup complemented by chewy noodles... ramen does not get much better than this!
夕飯は蔵が刺身と焼き鳥などを準備してくれた。〆は手作りラーメンを出前で。このラーメンは久慈さんが育ったラーメンの味。優しくコクがある出汁と手打ちメンの食感が何とも言えない最高な味。

At this time, my travel fatigue began to kick in. With an early work day ahead, I was off to bed...
ラーメン完食した時点で、疲れが追いついて来た。翌日は朝早くから仕事なので、お休みなさい...