Malgeun Badang

Description

Named 'Clear Sea' in Jeju dialect, Malkeunbadang is a 15% cheongju built from the simplest possible recipe: domestic rice and wheat nuruk, nothing else. That restraint is the point — every nuance comes from fermentation craft rather than ingredient variety. The nose opens with polished rice grain and a whisper of sea salt (possibly terroir, possibly suggestion), and the palate delivers a lean, mineral-driven profile with a fine-grained texture that recalls sake's ginjo tier. The midpalate carries a brief flash of steamed chestnut before the finish tapers dry and clean, almost chalky. At 375ml, it is sized for a single focused pairing. Serve at 8-10°C with seonge-guk (sea urchin soup), where the briny sweetness of the uni echoes the drink's mineral edge, or with mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), where the chilled broth and crisp finish create a seamless temperature match.

Ingredients

Rice, Nuruk

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings