-How would you describe the Snow Aged Junmai Ginjo 3 years sake?
In the Snow Country, when it snows, the snow can reach up to 2-3 meters. Utilizing the cool of the snow in the sake fermentation process is something that could only happen here in my opinion. The ones who brew the sake is the workers at the brewery, but if we look at this from a broader lens, you could say that the nature surrounding us, the culture of the area, and the climate allow us to brew the sake here in the first place. By brewing sake which is representative of Ounuma, we hope to convey the essence of Ounuma to our customers. Through this sake in particular, we hope to convey “Wintertime Ounuma.”
Have the people of Snow Country always aged sake in these kinds of snow rooms?
I wonder, I’m sure they did. I can’t say for certain, but the people of these lands have always lived in fear of the snow, they also utilized the snow in their day to day lives. For example, the melted snow provides nutrients to the earth which helps us to grow rice and vegetables. This water then makes its way underground thus becoming the spring water we use when we are brewing sake. It’s not just this one kind of sake, but all of the sake brewed here at Hakkaisan were able to be made because we live in an area where it snows.
-What kind of effects are there on the sake as a result of it being fermented in a snow room?
Since technically we are just fermenting the sake at a low temperature, some people may assume that it’s the same as if we used a refrigerator, but there is a distinguishable difference. When you are using a refrigerator, if it goes above a certain temperature, it turns on, and if it goes below it, it goes back off. While the snow room does differ in temperature over time, it takes a much longer amount of time than a refrigerator does to make its shifts in temperature. That is where the main difference lies.
-So, the temperature takes more time to change?
Yes, and the humidity as well. In short, it is able to allow the sake to ferment without placing too much stress on it. This is just an example, but humans have to sleep right? There are some people who sleep deeply and those who have a lighter sleep, but the most important thing is to provide a safe and quiet space for people to sleep. By providing an environment with relatively smooth temperature changes, the sake is allowed to ferment in a serene environment. I mean, it seems like these are just empty words, but it really does make a difference.
-The difference shows up in the flavor right?
The flavor is definitely different and more well rounded. Having a more rounded flavor is very different from having a more sharp flavor or more firm flavor. If it was well balanced, it wouldn’t be sharp now would it? It doesn’t just stop at the sake having a smooth flavor but it should aim to recreate the feeling of the sake fermenting over time in the snow room. That is the kind of sake we are trying to create.
-In the snow room, I know that you let the unprocessed sake sit in the room for awhile before adding water, but doesn’t that mean it is no longer unprocessed?
Within the sake fermentation process, there is also a process of “deterioration.” Sake is constantly changing, but when the alcohol level is too low, rather than fermentation, it is easy for the sake to go down the road of deterioration. So it is important to ferment the sake when the alcohol content is high. That is the essence of the fermentation process.
-So in other works, if we hold on to sake that we bought, it doesn’t mean that it is fermenting persay?
You may be destroying the balance of the original flavor and smell by doing do, yes. But, sake is really meant to be consumed for enjoyment. While I think sake is delicious, some people might not like the taste. There isn’t a sake which exists that anyone would say is delicious. So while a sake I may think has deteriorated in flavor, you may feel that it’s well fermented, and neither of us would be wrong. The sake that you have let sit and age has its own kind of persuasive power in a way.
-This snow room was created in 2013. The first batch of the Snow Aged Junmai Ginjo 3 years was sold in 2016. What was it like when the first batch was completed?
There is a process that happens during the fermentation stage which is referred to as Nomikiri, this is when you try to fermenting sake to see how far along it is in the process. That’s how you can tell if it is still too young, or if it needs to be a little more well-rounded flavor wise to be the flavor we wanted it to be. After three years, we finally get the flavor we had been searching for. This was the flavor that could represent the Ounuma winters. We had thought to go on to make a 5 year version of the Snow Aged Junmai Ginjo but found there wasn’t much of a difference between the two. This is when we realized how amazing this snow room really was. We have been playing with the idea of making an 8 year or 10 year version, but we are still in the experimental stages.
-That kind of reminds me of the story I heard at the Imanari Pickle shop.
Oh, so you went to see Mr. Imanari too? I think Mr. Imanari also decides how long to pickle his products as he goes along.
-He said that he also uses the Hakkaisan sake lees in his pickling process.
Our regular sake and special sake are both made using the ginjo process. In order to create high quality sakes, it is necessary to use a higher ratio of sake lees. In the past, it was said that if your sake didn’t produce a high volume of sake lees, then it isn’t good sake, but it’s really true. Pair this with the exclusive use of Junmai , or pure rice, we could say that they are using the best quality sake lees there are.
-In your opinion, Why have people continued to live in such a snow ridden area?
I think it all boils down to the fact that we were all born and raised here. That’s like asking why salmon return to the river they were born in. It’s just the way it is. Young people nowadays are drawn to the flashy, easy-going life of the city. But there are also some people who leave the big city to come live here. Unlike those people, since I was born, I knew that this was the place where I was meant to live. In a place like this where it snows so much, unlike in the past, we use snow to our advantage. If you are able to endure through half a year of snow, when spring finally comes, you can see the plants begin to sprout on the mountain edges. The happiness you feel seeing that scene is something that can’t be put into words.
What do you mean when you say the “mountain edges?”
I feel like it’s the mountain range, Mt. Fujiwara, that is by the Thunder and Lightning temple. I don’t think Mt. Fujiwara is the official name, that’s just what I call it. There is a ridge there where there are some Japanese beech trees. Those are the first trees to turn green in the spring. When I see that, I can’t explain it, but I feel like the season that I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.
I would love to get a chance to see that myself. Lastly, what is an aspect of the Snow Country that you would like to see preserved for all time?
We often say that we aim to be a company that never runs out of business. The bountiful lands we now have were founded by our ancestors. We are so moved by the work and knowledge that our ancestors built up and that is why we feel this is where we want to live. That is also why we feel we have a responsibility to bolster the culture and industry of Ounuma through our sake brewing processes.
-One way that you have done this is through the snow room right?
We have taken on the name of Hakkaisan. This land itself is our product.
That is because, only those who have bared the winter can truly enjoy the spring.
There is one aspect of the snow that is really surprising to me. I think you might have been curious as well. When I asked why the snow room in Hakkaisan Sake Brewery was black, this is what I was told.
“Actually, when we first made the room it was pure white. But there is actually dust and dirt that is inside the snow which can’t be seen. As it melts, it turns black. That is one reason that the air in the Snow Country is so clean. It’s because the snow absorbs the pollution in the air before it falls. That’s why we chose winter as the ideal time to brew our sake as well. The midwinter period is ideal for brewing Daiginjo because of the snow.”
There were no air conditioners back in those days , so the snow was also used to absorb the microorganisms in the air. Some people even believed that the snow could absorb even sound as well.
The mountain described in Mr. Nagumo’s story can be seen if we go back to the story of the “Thunder and Lightning water” we introduced in section 2. Right before you arrive, you will see a mountain rising in the background, this is Mt. Fujihara.
The water from Thunder and Lightning water isn’t just used in the Keyaki Rice, but it is also produces the spring water which is used in the Hakkaisan Sake Brewery brewing processes as well. If you have time, you should use this trip as a chance to get even closer to Mt. Fujihara. We almost missed our chance to see it, but we were also able to experience the majestic beauty of the mountain.
