Rice Spirit, Nep Cai Hoa Vang (Yellow Flower Sticky Rice)

• Unaged rice spirit produced by Sông Cái Distillery in Hanoi, Vietnam
• Distilled from 100% yellow flower sticky rice (nếp cái hoa vàng) inoculated with bánh men, a traditional Vietnamese starter
• Multiple parallel fermented for 1.5 months using bánh men
• Liquid rice wine is double distilled using a direct-fired copper pot still; residual grains are solid-state distilled in a wooden alquitar still (2-part still composed of a pot and condenser)
• Distillates are blended and then rested in red clay terracotta amphorae for 1 year
• Bold and enchanting aromas of milk chocolate, soy sauce, vanilla, almond, and a hint of clay precede an earthy and savory palate of toasted rice, marzipan, mushroom, cacao, saline, and pie crust
• Non-chill filtered; 47% ABV

Sông Cái’s unaged rice spirit is made using a glutinous yellow sticky rice called nếp cái hoa vàng, a variety of sticky rice prized for its aromatic qualities and ease of fermentation. A popular variety in the Vietnamese lowlands, its name is derived from the golden hue of its blooming flowers, and it is commonly used for special occasions, such as festivals and ancestral offerings. After steaming and fermenting the rice using bánh men—a traditional Vietnamese starter made using yeast, fungi, and bacteria that are isolated and captured from different parts of Vietnam and cultivated on rice starch—the liquid rice wine and the filtered grain are individually distilled and blended before resting for at least one year in red clay terracotta amphorae to fully integrate the heavier aromatic compounds and essential oils. Try this compelling, umami-rich spirit neat, over ice, or in spirit-forward cocktail applications.