
Rihaku Shuzo was established in 1882 in Matsue, the castle city of Shimane Prefecture, and was named after Li Bai (Li Po), the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet known in Japan as Rihaku, by a former Prime Minister who was a patron of the brewery. Shimane's brewing identity is shaped by some of Japan's most historically significant sake mythology, as the region's Izumo shrines associate rice and sake with divine origin. The Chotokusen Junmai Ginjo is made from Yamada Nishiki rice, and the brewery maintains one of the highest average milling ratios among Japanese breweries, earning multiple consecutive gold medals in national tasting competitions. The soft water of the San'in coast encourages the long, low-temperature fermentation that characterizes Rihaku's nuanced ginjo style.
Nov 04, 2024, 8:46 AM