Raifuku Shuzo, founded in 1716 in northern Ibaraki Prefecture, has been brewing sake for more than three centuries, drawing on groundwater filtered through the granite foothills of Mount Tsukuba, whose springs are celebrated for exceptional purity. The brewery is internationally recognized for its proprietary hanakobo (flower yeast) program, in which distinct yeasts are isolated from different flowers including begonia for the Choukarakuchi, to produce sakes with uniquely differentiated aromatic profiles. The Junmai Ginjo Choukarakuchi is built on Hitachinishiki rice milled to 55%, delivering an assertively dry, taut sake with a lean, masculine structure and elegant finish. The 'Cho' (ultra) karakuchi designation signals a strongly positive sake meter value, a bone-dry expression designed to sharpen the appetite and cut through umami-rich foods.
Jun 16, 2023, 10:52 AM
