Saitama Wood-Aged Sake Brewery Tour and Tasting

Want a glimpse into the secrets of ancient sake brewing techniques? Calling all fans of traditional nihonshu, or enthusiasts of fermentation and probiotic technology, to experience first hand the sake making process in Saitama, the prefecture just north of Tokyo. Visitors to Yamane Shuzo sake brewery will surely be fascinated by the painstaking, traditional fermentation methods still used at its facilities. Towering vats of bubbly, fresh sake release a funky perfume that changes with each step of the brewing process. You'll feel as if you've stepped back in time as you learn the old-fashioned way of brewing Japan's world-famous rice wine. Brewmasters will introduce how they carefully manage koji blooming, temperature, and acidity in the fermentation tanks to create an ideal sake each season. After a tour of the facilities, Yamane Shuzo's brewmasters and friendly staff will guide you through a sake tasting. During the 30-45 minute tasting experience, you'll learn the particularities and enjoy the unique, exquisite flavor of wood-aged sake. Yamane Brewery's wooden aging vats are all built from locally sourced timber, imbuing their sake with the flavor of Saitama.