What kind of sake brand is Kokuryu?黒龍

05/20/202205/30/2023

A world-class taste! The charm of the phantom sake “Kokuryu"

If you like sake, you should know “Daiginjo".
However, Daiginjo is technically very difficult to make and has not been sold until recent years.

Distribution of Daiginjo sake, which was said to be impossible. Kokuryu Sake Brewery made this possible.

What kind of sake brewery is Kokuryu Sake Brewery, which has left a mark on the sake industry and is about to leave it in the future?

Contents

What is a “Kokuryu"?

What is “Kokuryu Sake Brewery"?

Why Kokuryu is so popular

What is a “Kokuryu"?

“Kokuryu" is a sake produced in Fukui prefecture.

The beautiful and swelling taste is supported by the quality of the “prepared water" and “rice" selected by Kokuryu Sake Brewery.

Uses the clear water of the Kuzuryu River

Kokuryu has the clear water of the Kuzuryu River, the largest river in Fukui Prefecture.
The Kuzuryu River is a famous water that has been filtered by the water that melts the snow of the Sacred Mountains of Hakusan and nourishes the mountains. You can see that the quality of the river is very good from the fact that ayu and cherry salmon inhabit.

The clear underground water of the Kuzuryu River, which descends from the mountains to the ground and crosses the layers of nature, is a soft water with a characteristic that is ideal for brewing sake.

Rice is suitable for sake brewing

Kokuryu sake brewing is particular about rice.
Yamada Nishi from Tojo, Hyogo Prefecture, and Gohyakumangoku from Ono, Fukui Prefecture, all use rice suitable for sake brewing.

In search of even better rice, we have formed a group called “Frontier Tojo 21" with the aim of producing better rice. By the way, Tojo of “Frontier Tojo" is derived from the countryside of Tojo district in Hyogo prefecture, which is designated as Yamada Nishiki special A district.

It can be said that the Kokuryu is based on the rice that is the source of the taste of sake, the hearts of the people who grow it, and the environment in which the rice grows.

Sake can only be made with water and rice. Kokuryu is a sake brewed in a very blessed environment.

What is “Kokuryu Sake Brewery"?

Kokuryu Sake Brewery was founded in 1804 and has been brewing sake ever since the first brewery, Ishidaya Nizaemon.

Kokuryu Sake Brewery is the first sake brewery to commercialize Daiginjo Sake.

The name of the black dragon is derived from the ancient name “Kuzuryu River" of “Kuzuryu River". Since its founding, 80% of sake is Ginjo sake, which is a strong commitment to sake, and from the early Showa period, it will shift to a higher-class route.

Challenge Daiginjo, which was considered difficult to commercialize. The born Daiginjo “Ryu" attracted attention as “the most expensive sake in Japan". As a result of this challenge, Kokuryu Sake Brewery began to produce high quality products in small quantities.

Daiginjo Sake was thought to be “no business", but Kokuryu Sake Brewery upset that common sense in the brewing industry.

Why Kokuryu is so popular

Kokuryu is a popular sake that has been loved by many people for a long time. So what is the charm of the Kokuryu that continues to captivate many people?

Beautiful taste that is easy to drink

The taste of Kokuryu is characterized by a refreshing taste without any habit. Therefore, it goes well with any dish and is very easy to use.

The gorgeous ginjo aroma, subtle sweetness, and umami are one of the attractions that even beginners of sake can easily drink.

Brand power

It is mentioned that famous brands of sake, such as Dassai and Kubota, have a strong brand power of sake brewing. And Kuroryu Sake Brewery, which manufactures Kuroryu, is one of them.

Kuroryu has been producing handmade sake since the founding of the first brewery, Ishidaya Nizaemon, in 1804 (the first year of culture). In its heyday, there were more than 17 sake breweries, but now there is only one sake brewery with the name of Ishidaya and Kokuryu Sake Brewery. Nevertheless, Kokuryu Sake Brewery continues to maintain its tradition and continues to brew polite sake to this day.

The black dragon made by such Kuroryu Sake Brewery continues to receive high praise as a popular brand, and continues to increase its popularity as “a brand that if you like sake, you want to drink it at least once". As a result of continuing to keep the tradition, the brand power is still enhanced and it has become a black dragon that is loved by many people.