Traditional sake: Garyubai/Sanwa Brewery

In the 2004 April edition of the Japanese monthly magazine « Dancyu », apart of our good friend, John Gauntner, an interesting article appeared on the revival of rice fpr brewing sake by Sanwa Brewery, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City.
This year they have produced their famous brand « Garyubai » from three different types of rice under their Master brewer’s advice, Mr. Fujio Kudahara of the Nanbu School.
On the picture above, from left to right:
-Garyubai made from Homare Fuji, a rice strain developed in Shizuoka Prefecture
-Garyubai made from Tankan Watarifune, a rice strain used again for the first time after an eclipse of 50 years
-Garyubai made from Yamada Nishiki rice strain
The Tankan Watarifune rice had practically disappeared in Japan but for in a agricultural laboratory located in Shiga Prefecture!
From the 30~50 g of seeds left, enough rice was produced after 3 years of painstaking culture to finally be brewed into sake last Autumn in Shizu Ku.
All 3 sake above are junmai (rice milled down to 55%) and were all made exactly according to the same process which took more than 30 days in a low temperatur environment.
If you can read Japanese, check their homepage for more information!