Amabuki

Located in Miyaki, a city in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, the Japanese Amabuki Shuzo can boast over three centuries of tradition in the art of sake brewing. This sakagura, located at the foot of the imposing Mount Amabuki, from which it takes its name, has perfected its skills by handing down the most refined sake-making techniques throughout its long history. The foundation of the sakagura dates back to the years between 1688 and 1704, during the Genroku period, known for peace and prosperity. Today, Amabuki Shuzo is expertly led by Sotaro Kinoshita, the current president with decades of experience in the industry.

In the preparation of its sakagura sakagura Amabuki Shuzo uses rice of the Omachi and Yamada-Nishiki varieties grown on the fertile Saga plain, as well as fresh water from the Sefuri-Tensan area rivers flowing through the mountains. In addition to these two basic ingredients, Amabuki Shuzo entrusts the fermentation process to so-called 'flower yeasts', so called because they are isolated directly from different species of flowers, thus differing from the classic yeasts used in sake brewing. What's more, each flower yeast has its own aromatic individuality, whether it is the fruity notes developed by the abelia flower yeast or the robust sensations from the marigold yeast, through to the banana-like hints produced by the rhododendron yeast. Regardless of the type of yeast used, the processing first involves the dehulling, washing and steaming of the rice, followed by the inoculation of the Koji fungus, which is able to break down the complex sugars contained in the grains into fermentable simple sugars. At this point the yeast can operate the alcoholic fermentation, during which the characteristic flavours of each sake will be developed.

The sakes produced under the Amabuki Shuzo brand offer awide range of styles, from the freshest and lightest to the most intense and smooth, all characterised, however, by crisp and fragrant aromatic sensations with a remarkable impact. Alongside sake production, Amabuki Shuzo also distils delicious shochu, another beverage rooted in Japanese tradition.