I Regressed and Became Too Good at Brewing - Chapter 16

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 16. The Season When Grapes Ripen (3)
A Liquor Tasting Competition.
Literally, a place where various alcoholic beverages are brought before the public and evaluated.
If you win, you can secure honor for your distillery as well.
But is it only honor?
Your distribution channels can open up considerably too.
“Our goal is the Korean Traditional Alcohol Tasting Competition.”
“Oh…….”
Ha Jeong’s astonishment was perfectly understandable.
The Korean Traditional Alcohol Tasting Competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and organized by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, is a venue where the nation itself guarantees quality.
In that sense, it’s practically the national selection tournament for the traditional spirits category.
“Then if you do submit an entry, you’d be putting it in the Takju category?”
“With Dong-jeong-chun, yes. Nokpa-ju would fall under Yakju.”
“The standards are strict, but we’ve already cleared them, so I think we’ll be fine.”
Beyond simply using domestically-sourced agricultural products, there are rigorous criteria that verify quality certification and whether the distillery has any history of administrative sanctions.
But Songhadan has already met every one of those standards, or will meet them soon.
So what remains is merely the taste of the alcohol itself.
And what could I be more confident about than the quality of our spirits?
“From what I understand, the Korean Traditional Alcohol Tasting Competition has its application announcements and registration deadlines starting from late June.”
“That’s right. We have several months, so we’ll need to prepare well by then.”
“Ah. I always thought you just made delicious alcohol right away, every time.”
“As if.”
Had she misunderstood my words as meaning we’d submit immediately?
But even with ten years of experience from my past life, I had no intention of rushing through a project like roasting beans over a flash of lightning.
“First, I’m thinking of submitting another version alongside this Dong-jeong-chun base liquor.”
“Another version?”
“Yes. I’m still just thinking about it, but I have a sense that aging it in a special cask would make it taste even better.”
Even now, the Dong-jeong-chun receives praise for being delicious whenever it’s brought out.
But I had no intention of stopping here.
The ability I’d received from Mok-tong was showing me a vague glimpse of the future.
“To do that, there are things I’ll need, so it looks like it will take some time.”
“Mm… I’m not entirely sure what you mean, but I’m sure you can do it, boss!”
Ha Jeong tilted her head in confusion yet displayed absolute trust in me.
I smiled warmly at her before speaking.
“Yes. It’ll work out. Se-jun is doing his part, and I have you too.”
Besides, though Ha Jeong couldn’t see him, there was still Song-ha beside me fiddling with the brim of his hat, and Mok-tong—not here at the moment because he was presumably snacking on spirits from the aging room.
“I should call Se-jun over first.”
“Oh! That’s a great idea! I’ll go get him!”
It didn’t take long for Ha Jeong to dash off and return with Se-jun.
Hearing the news that a delicious spirit had been made, Se-jun came running in great strides, his long legs carrying him swiftly.
“You made Dong-jeong-chun? That’s what you were working so hard on?”
“It’s not completely finished yet—this is just an intermediate check. Just smell it for now.”
“Whoa.”
Se-jun took the thick Dong-jeong-chun base liquor and brought it to his nose.
After a moment, he let out a sound of admiration and spoke.
“This is no joke, is it?”
“It’s not, is it? The taste is really delicious too!”
“Why does it smell like grapes? That scent near grape seeds…….”
“It’s made entirely from rice.”
“Exactly! I helped make it, so I know!”
Wasn’t this the charm of Dong-jeong-chun?
Due to its distinctive method of adding almost no water, the yeast generated a high amount of ester compounds in the high-solids environment.
Because of these compounds, when you drink it, you experience the taste and aroma of well-ripened pears, melons, or fresh grapes.
“Man, this is seriously incredible, right?”
“Not yet. It needs to age for about ten more days.”
“That’s a shame. But it’ll taste even better by then, right?”
“Yeah. And to make it even better, I need your help.”
“Huh? My help? Just say the word if you need muscle! I’ll take care of it!”
“No. It’s not that kind of thing.”
I shook my head at Se-jun, who was showing off his strength by flexing arms thick as a person’s thigh.
I didn’t need anything that required physical effort.
“Come with me somewhere.”
“Where?”
“Gochang. You drive.”
Gochang County, North Jeolla Province.
There, I would find the final puzzle piece of the Dong-jeong-chun I’d been seeking.
“Don’t tell me you want me to just smell it…”
“… Sorry.”
I’d have to promise Se-jun a generous supply of Won-ju when we got back.
* * *
“Phew. It’s nice and cool here.”
“Isn’t it.”
The journey from Yeongwol to Gochang had been quite long.
And the temperature had shifted noticeably along the way.
It was only natural that this place felt considerably warmer than Songhadan, nestled in the mountains of Gangwon Province.
“But seriously—you’re really going to use that?”
“Yeah. I need it, no question.”
“When you say it that decisively, I can’t argue…”
“Trust me. I’m the man who made Meari.”
“Who cares what anyone else says? I already decided to trust you when it comes to liquor. Don’t worry.”
I parked the car off to one side and stepped out to survey the surroundings.
A cool breeze drifted past, and what came into view was a sprawling expanse of fields.
It appeared they were in the middle of air layering, the process of cultivating new saplings.
Which meant all the saplings spread across this place were thriving without exception.
“You found it well.”
“All of these are Bokbunja?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t even know Bokbunja was a tree.”
Se-jun scratched his head.
Many people probably wouldn’t know.
Most wouldn’t even know what Bokbunja berries tasted like.
Usually people only know the name because of the wine made from Bokbunja.
“Bokbunja wine is typically harvested around May or June, before the rainy season starts, and then made. They’re probably in their preparation phase right now.”
“You certainly know a lot about it.”
I turned toward the voice coming from behind.
What I saw was a man in work clothes thoroughly caked with dirt, apparently having come straight from his labor.
He flashed a bright smile and asked the question.
“You’re the one who called ahead, aren’t you? From Yeongwol?”
“Ah. Yes. I’m Song Yeon-u, owner of Songhadan.”
When I offered to shake hands, he brushed the dirt from his palms and gripped mine firmly, speaking.
“Goodness, you’ve come quite a distance. I’m Shin Young-gil, Bokbunja wine maker here in Gochang. Welcome to Seonunsan Bokdeongi Farm.”
What I felt in his firm handshake was nothing other than a farmer’s strength.
Yet there was also the delicate touch of a craftsman who made wine.
“Ha. To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Me?”
“Of course! Because I really do love the liquor you make. Ha ha! It’s something special!”
The way he greeted me enthusiastically from the moment we met made it clear he was a fan of Meari.
Sure enough, the moment he released my hand, Young-gil launched into an extended commentary on Meari’s flavor.
“It truly had a spine-tingling grandeur to it. Just smelling it made me feel like Seonunsan was painted right before my eyes, I’m telling you?”
“Ha. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Glad doesn’t begin to cover it! How on earth did you achieve such a flavor? Was it the Fermentation process? No, no, you must have added some flavoring, but regardless! I count it among the finest liquors I’ve ever drunk in my life! To meet the person who crafted such a spirit—I couldn’t be happier about it! Heh heh heh!”
At this point, wasn’t it less like speaking and more like praise?
The words warmed me to hear them, filled me with genuine pride, but I still needed to gently steer things forward.
I hadn’t come here simply to bask in compliments.
“Then shall we discuss the work we came to do?”
“Oh my. Look at me, getting so excited. Heh heh. Shall we go take a look then?”
“Actually, before we do that—would it be alright if we walked around the farm first?”
“Mm? Yes, of course. This way then.”
But I couldn’t head straight for what I wanted.
Because my eyes had already caught sight of it.

A woman in an elegant hanbok stood directly before me, staring up at me intently.
“This way, then,” Young-gil said, gesturing us forward.
As I walked in his wake, the woman trailed behind me, muttering to herself the whole time.

No one around us seemed able to see her.
Young-gil and Se-jun simply walked ahead, chatting about nature as they went.

And now she’d taken to floating in the air, hovering upside down to peer at me.
“I wish Song-ha had come along with me,” I murmured.
“Huh? Song-ha? Who’s that?” Se-jun asked.
“A good fellow. A friendly drinker.”
“That’s funny—that’s the exact same name as our distillery! Ha ha!”
Se-jun broke into laughter without a shred of suspicion.
Well, that made sense; our distillery was named after that good fellow—or rather, the Dokkaebi.
Though I couldn’t exactly explain that to him.

I did my best to ignore the Dokkaebi’s piercing stare, her gaze boring into my face as though she might see right through me.
I’d expected this, in a way.
Sooner or later, when I visited another distillery, there was a chance I’d encounter one of their Dokkaebi.
Hadn’t I heard it said already?
Every good distillery has at least one Dokkaebi claiming residence there.
“Here it is,” Young-gil announced.
“Wow. It’s quite spacious, isn’t it?” Se-jun said.
“It’s my pride and joy! From here all the way to there—bokbunja, bokbunja, everywhere! Ha ha!”
Young-gil spoke with unmistakable pride, yet his smile carried an odd melancholy to it.
His attitude made perfect sense.
Even at a glance, the bokbunja trees were clearly well-tended, arranged in neat, thriving rows.
“You’ve every right to boast,” I said sincerely.
“Thank you for saying so. I manage every last detail of the Seonunsan Bokdeongi Farm myself, from top to bottom.”
The view was so striking that I would have gladly swept the circling Dokkaebi aside to take it all in properly—and I wasn’t being polite.
To anyone’s eye, this was clearly a space suffused with genuine love.
And that was precisely why I’d wanted to see it.
“But I’m curious—what made you so interested in us?” Young-gil asked.
“Would you understand if I said I wanted to do business with good people?”
“Hmm… I think I grasp what you mean.”
Young-gil paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully, then nodded as though satisfied.
What did “good people” mean to distillery makers?
Those who could make a fortune?
Those with virtuous hearts?
Neither mattered.
The truly good people were those capable of pouring every ounce of sincerity and effort into making fine alcohol.
On that score, Young-gil more than passed the test.
Indeed, I’d already done the groundwork—scouted and vetted the farms in advance.
If I could confirm just one last thing, we’d be ready to work together.
“Would you mind if I tasted your bokbunja wine?” I asked.
“That’s another source of pride for the Seonunsan Bokdeongi Farm. Come this way.”
The aging cellar where the wine was stored was located surprisingly close by.
The door creaked open, and…….
“Ah.”
“This is incredible. I mean it.”
The first sound was my gasp; Se-jun’s came right after.
Before us stretched countless oak barrels, lined up as far as the eye could see.
I could tell at once, just by looking.
“You’ve found the right place. These are fine spirits.”
“How on earth can you tell that?” Se-jun asked.
“There are methods,” I said simply.
The flavor and aroma that seemed to emanate from each barrel—like sprites themselves—danced together in perfect harmony.
The bokbunja’s signature sweet-tart notes stepped forward first, and following in their wake came the sweetness drawn from the oak itself, vanilla notes blooming gently behind.
As the unified dance reached its crescendo, a subtle woody scent took its stand at the center, amplifying all that came before it.
It was clear that even without tasting it, one could tell this was fine drink.
“Let’s have a taste, shall we?”
Shin Young-gil uncorked one of the Oak Barrels and carefully poured Bokbunja Wine into a glass he’d prepared beforehand using a pipette.