Minabe is a town renowned for its locally grown premium Ume called Nanko Ume. These big juicy and fleshy Ume are sorted, hand washed and pricked with pins before they are aged in stainless steel tank with hand crafted sake made by the brewery. The brewery uses small tanks to minimize bruising of the Ume while maximizing the flavor. The result is an award winning Ume Shu which was recently inducted into the Ume Shu Hall of Fame after winning the Gold Medal for 3 years running.