Sông Cái
Single Grain Whisky
From rice, not barley.
Sông Cái Single Grain Whisky
Made with 100% unpolished Glutinous Purple Rice (Nếp Cẩm), inoculated with Bánh Men.
The fermentation process includes of 2 weeks solid-state, 1 month liquid-state fermentation, and 6 months anaerobic solid-state fermentation of residual grains.
Twice distilled, grain-on, direct-fired pot still then single distilled solid-state fermentation distillate in wood-fired alquitar
Matured in solera system of American oak (seasoned with sweet purple rice wine and yellow rice wine) for 4 years.
45 ABV.
Whisky has always been defined by discipline, not by one specific grain.
Across regions and eras, distillers worked with what was available, refining methods over time until raw ingredients became something deliberate.
Barley, corn, rye - each came to define a style because it performed, not because it was prescribed.
Here, that grain is rice.
Rice is Vietnam’s grain.
It has fed communities, anchored fermentation traditions, and shaped drinking culture for generations.
Choosing rice here is not a substitution.
It is an acknowledgment of place.
We chose Nếp Cẩm, a black sticky rice traditionally grown in the highlands of Điện Biên, because it already carries aroma, texture, and depth before fermentation begins.
It’s grown above 1,600 meters by H’Mông farmers practicing dry-farmed swidden agriculture.
In this system, Nếp Cẩm is cultivated without irrigation, relying on seasonal rainfall, altitude, and fallow cycles rather than yield optimization. Each harvest reflects the conditions of that year rather than a standardized outcome.
At elevation, cooler nights extend the maturation period, allowing starches and aromatic compounds to develop gradually. The grain forms structure before size, prioritizing behavior in fermentation over volume in the field.
Nếp Cẩm is naturally glutinous, with higher levels of phenolic compounds and pigments that influence both flavor development and mouthfeel.
It ferments more slowly than neutral table rice and produces a softer, rounder spirit when handled carefully.
Nếp Cẩm has long been used in fermented foods and rice wines, not because it is exotic, but because it performs.
It holds structure through steaming, accepts enzymatic breakdown evenly, and contributes subtle floral and fruit notes without heaviness.
Rice demands a different approach to fermentation.
Rather than dissolving the grain into liquid mash, this whisky uses solid-state fermentation with Bánh Men, a traditional mixed-culture starter long used in Vietnam.
Solid-state fermentation is slower and less predictable than modern liquid methods.
Temperature, humidity, and timing must be monitored constantly.
Small variations matter. Mistakes are difficult to correct.
Bánh Men does not overwhelm the grain.
It allows the character of Nếp Cẩm to emerge gradually, building gentle sweetness, subtle acidity, and a layered aromatic base before distillation even begins.
Maturation completes the conversation started by the grain.
The barrels are seasoned with Vietnamese rice wines.
One is an oxidative rice wine, aged in terra cotta and exposed to air in a manner similar to sherry, developing nutty, rounded characteristics that soften oak’s first impact.
The other is a sweet purple rice wine made from the same Nếp Cẩm used in this single grain whisky.
Sông Cái Single Grain Whisky
TECH SHEET
Alcohol by Volume: 45% ABV
Grain: 100% unpolished glutinous purple rice (Nếp Cẩm), inoculated with Bánh Men.
Fermentation
• Two weeks solid-state fermentation
• One month liquid-state fermentation
• Six months anaerobic solid-state fermentation of residual grains
Distillation
• Twice distilled, grain-on, direct-fired pot still
• Single distilled solid-state fermentation distillate in wood-fired alquitar
Maturation: Solera system
• 71% American oak seasoned with sweet purple rice wine
• 29% American oak seasoned with yellow rice wine.
Tasting notes:
Red bean mochi, baking spices, toffee, coconut,
raisins, honey.