There is a great variety of Japanese sake breweries and varieties.
Here we report on a brewery that produces extremely exclusive Sake produces and which, in our opinion, is suitable for beginners and advanced sake lovers alike.
Katsuyama - a princely sake brewery
The name "Katsuyama" (勝山) literally means "mountain of victory" and is a very auspicious name. The reason why this brewery has such a proud name has to do with its history.
Katsuyama began brewing sake more than 300 years ago on behalf of Date Masamune, one of the most important samurai of wartime Japan, and established itself as a brewery serving the Date family.
The bottles of Katsuyama Sake therefore have an impressive design with an engraving of the armor of the Date clan which evokes a direct memory of the noble and brave Japanese samurai.
Where is the Katsuyama Brewery located?
This princely brewery is located in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan's Tōhoku region, 300 km north of Tōkyō, in an area rich in natural beauty, with the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Ou Mountains to the west.
About 15 years ago, Katsuyama moved its headquarters from the city center to the foot of Mount Izumigatake in search of valuable water.
Sake consists of 80 percent water, so the Quality of water very important for the taste of sake. Izumigatake water is soft and rich in natural silica, which is also said to have positive effects on beauty and health.
In addition, beautiful rice fields stretch between the brewery and the mountains. In typical Japanese advertising euphoria, Miyagi likes to call itself the "land of rice" - and after all, the prefecture is the fifth-largest rice producer in the country.
What distinguishes Katsuyama sake?
Katsuyama is a so-called luxury boutique, which is quite different from the sake breweries that produce mass products.
A very limited amount of sake, only one tank per week, is brewed with extreme care, using high quality ingredients, traditional techniques and state-of-the-art technology.
Katsuyama also presents itself as a pioneer in the production of sake with "pure umami" that goes well with any cuisine - in other words, full-bodied sake that can also be paired well with international cuisine. This is a trend that is beginning to take hold in the world of sake, and indeed, for example, an intensely sweet sake such as "Lei" or "Gen" is excellent for food pairing with European cuisine.
Always settled in the premium range, Katsuyama also offers a great entry-level sake in Germany with the "En", above which is the "Ken". The product range is rounded off by the "Den" and the extremely expensive "Diamond".
