The prestigious Kokuryu ‘Black Dragon’ Sake brewery was founded by Nizaemon Ishidaya in 1804 located in a village nestled beneath the snowy mountains of Fukui prefecture; fed by the soft, pure waters of the Kuzuryu ‘Nine Headed Dragon’ river as it flows towards the Sea of Japan.
The brewery has continuously pursued an elegant, nuanced sake style which harmonises with and highlights a meal’s ingredients. Over 220 years of evolution have kept them on a true path, brewing, maturing and hand-crafting high calibre, small batch sake much prized in Japan and also by internationally based chefs, sommeliers and sake afficionados. Their signature style is a deeply flavoured sake with delicate balance, purity of expression, clarity and unique finesse. Design is also key for this brand and the Kokuryu bottles have a distinctive form, with memorable labels many of which are crafted and applied by hand.
The brewery is renowned for seeking out special yeasts and using premium
rice, adapting to each year’s rice harvests by altering its fermentation techniques to continuously innovate and develop to fulfil customers’ expectations. In 2005, the eighth generation Naoto Mizuno became Company President/Kuramoto, and he continues to uphold the values of the Kokuryu name, making it his mission to enhance sake culture and spread knowledge of its cultural significance around the world.
The brewery’s motto is “If we make good sake, people will support it.”
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Heigo Australia is Australia's official importer and distributor of Kokuryu Sake.
