Asamai Junmai Daiginjo 45" (720 ml)

Asamai Shuzo has brewed in Daisen, Akita since 1917, but this expression draws its identity from Nagano's Matsumoto Basin, where the Japanese Alps force cold air down into the valley and compress the growing season for Miyama Nishiki rice. The result is a grain with tighter starch cores — exactly what a Daiginjo-grade polish demands.

The seimaibuai of 45% means 55% of each grain is discarded, leaving only the starchy heart. Fermentation proceeds at low temperature using soft, mineral-lean snowmelt water drawn from the Northern Alps, a condition that slows yeast activity and builds aromatic complexity without heat-driven volatility. The brew is classified Junmai — no added distilled alcohol — so every aromatic compound originates in the rice and fermentation alone.

What separates this expression is the Matsumoto terroir anchor: Nagano's altitude and diurnal swings are unusual sourcing for a brewery headquartered in Akita, a deliberate reach for a cooler, higher-elevation rice character. Drink now through 2026, lightly chilled at 10–12°C to preserve the delicate ginjo-ka aromatics.