Masumi Junmai Okuden Kanzukuri (300 ml)

In 1946, Masumi's brewers isolated a wild yeast strain from their fermentation tanks in Suwa, Nagano — a discovery so consequential it was registered as Kyokai Yeast No. 7 and now drives fermentation at over 60% of sake breweries across Japan. Okuden Kanzukuri is brewed at the original Suwa Moto-machi kura, established 1662 on the ancient Koshu Kaido road at a site historically called Shimizu-machi ('Clear Water Village'), drawing snowmelt from the Yatsugatake (Eight Peaks) Range via the Kirigamine Highlands. The cold Suwa Basin climate slows fermentation naturally, concentrating texture and restraining volatiles. The yamahai yeast-starter method is employed: natural lactic-acid bacteria are cultivated in the shubo tank over approximately two weeks before Kyokai No. 7 yeast is introduced — no commercially added lactic acid — yielding higher natural acidity and deeper umami structure than the modern sokujo norm. Primary rice is Miyama Nishiki, a Nagano-bred cold-climate variety milled in-house. What sets this expression apart is Masumi's house-wide commitment to yamahai across every tier, including this entry-level Junmai — a labour-intensive discipline most breweries reserve exclusively for premium grades. The result is a food-centric sake with lactic depth and a clean, dry finish built for the table.