The Shiga prefecture is one of Japan’s few inland prefectures, as only 8 of Japan’s 47 prefectures are not bordered in some way by ocean or sea. Shiga does, however, contain Lake Biwa, which is the largest lake in Japan and accounts for 1/6th of Shiga’s total land. Shiga is surrounded by mountains clad in fresh, unfarmed greenery and very fertile plains and lies just north and west of Kyoto and Nara.

The Uehara Brewery was founded in 1862 and is located near the shores of Lake Biwa. The brewery still uses wooden presses and fermentation vats in their traditional brewing process. Much of their production is done without the addition of cultivated yeasts, and the 7th generation family brewers are proud to have revived the tradition of using wooden barrels for some of their sake.

All of the rice used at Uehara Brewery is locally grown, contracted to local farmers committed to sustainable farming practices. The brewery uses over 30 different local strains of sake rice to produce very unique sake.

This is a Muroka Nama Genshu [no charcoal filtration, unpasteurized and undiluted] which still contains the finest part of the fermentation sediment resulting in a cloudy [nigori] sediment and a very delicate rice-y fragrance. While being on the dry side, the texture is velvety and smooth. The texture of this unique usunigori [thin nigori] is not at all thick like other nigoris, but rather lends the sake a beautiful silvery color and a rich softness.

For more info about the brewery, visit their japanese website: http://www.ex.biwa.ne.jp/~furo-sen/ Or, browse the slideshow of our photos from the last brewery visit: