Junmai Cho Karakuchi (1.8 L)

In 1947, 4th-generation brewmaster Kiyoma Nakao invented koon toka — a high-temperature saccharification method that heats koji rice, brewing rice, and water to 55°C to eliminate competing bacteria before rapid cooling and lactic acid addition. The technique is now used by over 60% of Japanese breweries for daiginjo competition sakes, yet it was born here in Takehara to protect one thing: the brewery's fragile, proprietary apple yeast, isolated after testing over 2,000 yeast sources.

Takehara sits on the northern shore of the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, drawing soft spring water from the Kamo Mountains. That low-mineral water dissolves slowly during fermentation, producing the region's characteristic kirei (clean, beautiful) texture — a mellow, melting mouthfeel that distinguishes Hiroshima sake from the harder-water styles of Nada or Fushimi.

This Junmai Cho Karakuchi is brewed from local Hiroshima table rice polished to 65% (seimaibuai), fermented with the apple yeast starter, pressed on a Yabuta machine, and diluted to approximately 15.4% ABV before tank aging in enamel-coated steel. The cho karakuchi designation signals an extra-dry SMV profile — unusually assertive for a soft-water Hiroshima junmai, where the house style typically leans toward restrained sweetness. The apple yeast delivers a lifted, fruit-forward aroma that cuts cleanly against the dry finish, making this the food-table workhorse of the Seikyo range.