The “Beau-Zone” Layer – DATE 7 “Hakurakusei Style”
From Miyagi Prefecture.
Junmai Daiginjo
SMV: +3 Acidity: N/A
Yay! Let’s hear it for Team sake making! Team? What Team? Well, when seven different sake breweries in one prefecture decide to make a sake with each of the seven breweries doing a specific function of the brewing process to make one sake, it’s pretty much a team of sake makers! Or in this case it’s Date 7. (Yay Team Miyagi Sake).
Each year this collaboration of 7 breweries (Kastsuyama, Suminoe, Niizawa, Yamawa, Hagino, Urakasumi, and Kawakei) make sake with a home base at one of the seven breweries. This year, Season II Episode 4 was based at Niizawa Brewery, home of the Hakurakusei brand of sake. And we love our Hakurarusei sake as we sell at least four of their products including the very famous Super 7 and on occasion “Absolute Zero.”
We love Niizawa sake, and there is a “style” or theme to their brews, and this Date 7 reflects that theme. In this case Niizawa is called the “Lead Brewery,” but all of the rice polishing of the local Miyagi Yamadanishiki is done by each of the breweries. Soaking, steaming, and cooling of the rice is done by Katsuyama. The all important use of Niizawa House Yeast is done at Suminoe. The shubo or yeast starter was prepared at Haginotsuru. The moromi or mash or fermentation was done at Kawakei. And the pressing was done at Yamawa Sake Brewery.
When each brewery takes the “lead” their style gets to shine, and arguably since they are using the Niizawa House Kobo this is even more evident!
In my role as a sake lover and promoter, I’m not really supposed to play favorites. I equally love all sake brands, all sake breweries, and all sake producing prefectures! I do. But! (There it is – the eventual but) I have a soft spot for Miyagi Prefecture. They have been through a lot. With the massive Tohoku quake, and with recent quakes, they have had some rough luck of late and I feel for them. So I tip my cap to these 7 reps of Miyagi sake who are shouting out to the sake market, “Hey Taste Miyagi Sake” in the form of Date 7.