水の町
清水の郷・秋田県美郷町。ここは町内に126カ所もの湧水が確認され、名水百選(環境庁)にも選定された水の町。奥羽山脈のふもと、扇状地の上にあるため地下水が豊富で、各家庭でも地下水を汲み上げて使用するのが一般的です。
当蔵で使用している仕込水も、地下25メートルから汲み上げた地下水。その水温は年間を通して約12度前後で、水質は軟水。一説には「酒を造るにはよく湧く軟水が良い」といわれるなど、仕込み水は酒の味を大きく左右しています。
Water Town
Misato-cho (Misato Township),is renowned throughout the country as “the home of beautiful spring water”. Due to the pristine quality of the 126 springs within Misato-cho, the town was selected by the Ministry of Environment to be one of Japan’s 100 Exquisite Water Sources. This abundance of pure water originates from the snowmelt of the nearby Ou Mountains, which slowly filters through underground rock before emerging as fresh, spring water in the township. As Misato-cho is located at the base of this mountain range on an alluvial fan, it is blessed with an abundance of groundwater, which is draw on by local households for every day use.
Kuribayashi Brewing & Co. draws on this groundwater from 25 metres below ground for use in its sake brewing. It’s said that, “soft spring water is very good for sake brewing”, and has a great influence on the final flavour of the sake