Kuroushi

Founded in 1866 in Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture, Nate Shuzoten takes its brand name Kuroushi from an entry in the Man'yoshu poetry anthology describing a black-boulder shoreline near the brewery. The brewery uses slightly hard water from the mineral-rich coastal terrain, which drives a vigorous fermentation and produces a full-bodied, assertive style often called men's sake. Over 95 percent of output is pure-rice brewing, making Kuroushi one of Wakayama's leading advocates of junmai sake.