Ichinokura Karakuchi Tokubetsu Junmai

The brewery describes the Ichinokura Karakuchi Tokubetsu Junmai (特別純米酒 辛口) as a light and smooth sake type with a rich aroma derived from gentle and sweet maturation. Dry grain and steamed rice aroma with a touch of mineral. Refreshing dry sake with a well-rounded taste. This sake is brewed by hand in Ichinokura's traditions and has a distinctive flavour that possesses both elegance and real depth. Immensely popular and regularly voted as among the top-ranked sake.

Ichinokura Brewery (株式会社 一ノ蔵) is located in Ōsaki, Miyagi Prefecture, some 30 kilometres northeast of Sendai. In 1973, four sake breweries - Asami Shoten, Kachiki Shuzoten, Sakurai Shuzoten, and Matsumoto Shuzoten - merged to form Ichinokura Co., Ltd. The Matsuyama area of Ōsaki is in the centre of the Sendai Plain. Matsuyama has been well known from old times for its fine quality rice and has prospered as an agricultural and brewing town. Over 90% of the rice Ichinokura sake brewing is grown locally in Miyagi Prefecture. The brewery first began by securing growing contracts with local farmers. Starting in 2004, it established its own in-house Agriculture Department to promote sustainable agriculture minimising the environmental impact and helping support local farmers through cultivating fine-quality rice. Ichinokura is currently growing its rice and aims to develop fine-quality rice best suited for sake brewing. Water is a raw ingredient that makes up 70-80% of sake and is, therefore, one of the essential elements in determining the taste of sake. Ichinokura has a drilled well on the brewery premises, bringing up underground water from a depth of 100 metres. There are 40 brewery workers at Ichinokura, under the supervision of the brewery tōji, who use the techniques of the Nanbu Tōji School to brew fine sake entirely by hand.

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