Drunken Monkey

Description

Sulsaem Brewery in Gyeonggi-do makes this sibling to Bulkeun Wonsungi (Red Monkey), using the same formula — 100% Gyeonggi rice, nuruk, hongguk (red yeast rice), and purified water — at the same 10.8% ABV. Where Red Monkey introduces the hongguk concept, Drunken Monkey leans further into the fermentation intensity, and the name suggests a later stage of the evening. The hongguk contributes the same crimson tint, savory depth, and cheese-rind funk. The aroma is overripe grain, dried cherry, and a faint mushroom earthiness from the hongguk mold. On the palate, the body is dense and creamy with a grain sweetness that arrives full and unrestrained, then the hongguk's savory-umami character develops strongly through the mid-palate, creating a push-pull between sweet and savory that gives each sip its momentum. The finish is long and warm, with the 10.8% glowing steadily. Compared to its Red Monkey sibling, this one reads as the more expressive, less restrained version — the monkey has had a few more cups. The 2017 Chajaganeun Yangjojang pedigree anchors both bottles. Serve at 8-12°C with samgyeopsal-gui where the fatty pork and the drink's dense body create a lavish textural pairing, or with kimchi-jjigae whose fermented tang meets the hongguk funk head-on.

Ingredients

Rice, Nuruk, 홍국, Purified Water

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings