SUIGEI built new sake brewery TOSA-KURA 土佐蔵 in Tosa City 土佐市 Kochi Prefecture 高知県. This brewery looks like a modern factory.
I attended their field trip.
Photos of the Field Trip
They launched the field trip from November 2018 at the brewery TOSA-KURA 土佐蔵.
* It is not their headquarter (another brewery NAGAHAMA-KURA 長浜蔵) in Kochi City 高知市 Kochi Prefecture 高知県.
You will see a gallery section when you get in the building.
These products were made through the collaboration between luxury types of sake and a Kimono designer.
Making a reservation is necessary for the tour.
The reception is next to the gallery. Please tell them your reservation name.
Admission: 500 yen. (Prices on this page are including tax.)
They use well-selected domestically produced rice.
Rice-polishing machine
Attending the field trip for the sake brewery in light clothes is not very good. There are a few rooms that adjust to cold temperature throughout the year.
A staff member guides and teaches you the complete process in a time period of 30 minutes.
When I went there the machines were not in operation, unfortunately.
During the tour, sometimes the machines are in operation. It depends on their brewing schedule.
Rice is steamed here.
You can look around 1F and 2F with the guide.
Shubo Room 酒母室
Room for making fermentation Starter
Shikomiba 仕込場
Room for fermentation mash of sake
Bubbles are popping in the tanks.
These tanks are placed just under the room (Shikomiba).
The admission fee includes 2 cups of sake tasting that is designated by the brewery, and a cup as a souvenir. When you want to try other kinds of sake, they offer paid sake tasting.
If you drive a car, you can get the souvenir but drinking sake is prohibited. Sorry, there is no alternative for the free sake tasting and there is no discount for the admission.
I tried 4 kinds below.
SUIGEI Junmai Ginjo Koiku No.54 純米吟醸 高育54号
Paid tasting 30ml 100 yen
SUIGEI Junmai Daiginjo Hyogo Yamada 50% 純米吟醸 兵庫山田 50%
Paid tasting 30ml 100 yen
SUIGEI Junmai Daiginjo Ya 純米大吟醸 弥
Paid tasting 30ml 300 yen
This sake has a fruity taste, like apple flavor, even though there are no fruits in it.
It's my favorite sake out of the four types I tasted at the bar. I think it is good to new sake-drinkers.
SUIGEI Junmai Daiginjo Man 純米大吟醸 万
Paid tasting 30ml 400 yen
Water for sake-making 仕込水 Shikomi-sui
Free of charge
If you drive a car, you can get only this.
For now, they don't get the available water near the brewery. (November 2018)
Instead, they transport the well-selected water for sake-making by car from the water source located a long distance from the brewery.
(The water sauce is around Kagami River in Tosayama in Kochi Pref. 土佐山 鏡川源流水）
They sell sake and traditional sake vessels and cups.
When you go there with a group, it would be a good idea to buy full bottle of sake, and then drink at outside table of the brewery. However I am not sure if drinking sake is accepted here.
Information
SUIGEI BREWING 酔鯨酒造
Reservation for the field trip (in Japanese)
Useful websites
Where to buy sake of SUIGEI 酔鯨 in Tokyo (in Japanese)
