Founded in 1667, Yamato Honke Brewery has a unique history of over 300 years. During the time of the Shogun the brewery was completely burned down during the "Battle of Toba-Fushimi" (1868). Overcoming this hardship has build a strong foundation for them, which allowed them to survive future challenges and stay positive. The brewery is now led by Genbee Yamamoto, the eleventh generation of the Yamato family.
While honoring and preserving the inherited traditional methods of sake brewing, they are also keen on finding new ways to take advantage of recent advances in biotechnology to enhance the quality of their sake. They received the EDA award in 1996; the most respected prize in the Japanese brewing industry (an Encouragement Award of the Society for Biotechnology Japan).
Sake from KYOTO
Yamamoto Honke attributes the continued success of their sake to their special key ingredient: the Fushimi spring water, which cannot be found anywhere else.
The "Chrysanthemum water" used for sake brewing is low in iron and contains moderate mineral water, giving it a plump taste and a round aftertaste, making it a natural groundwater that is perfect for pairing with meals.The story of the "Chrysanthemum water" is based on a folk story:
Villagers in what is now the Fushimi area were tormented by a terrible, long draught that ruined the crops. One day, a young villager went into the mountains to seek a solution and encountered an old wizzard deep in the woods. He begged the wizard for help. The good wizard, who loved nurturing white chrysanthemums, sympathized with the villagers and decided to help them.
As the wizard reached the village, he took out a chrysanthemum and tilted it slightly; one single drop fell from the petal to the ground. In the blink of an eye, clear water sprang from the dry land, and almost instantly, the region was enriched with the water from chrysanthemum.
Today, this area is known as FUSHIMI and it still benefits from the rich "chrysanthemum" water.
