Junmai Ginjo Midori-No-Eikun (720 ml)

When Saito Shuzo adopted the name Eikun in 1915 to mark Emperor Taisho's ascension, the family was already two decades into building a house identity around a single, non-negotiable raw material: Iwai rice, a Kyoto-exclusive variety developed in 1933, revived in 1988, and today sourced almost entirely by Eikun — the brewery controls roughly 40% of all Iwai grown in the prefecture, making this terroir expression structurally unreplicable outside Kyoto. The kura sits along the Takase River in Fushimi's Momoyama Hills, drawing from Fusui, a low-iron, low-mineral soft underground spring designated among Japan's top 100 water sources — softness that suppresses harsh fermentation byproducts and yields the region's signature onna-zake texture. Midori-No-Eikun is brewed via sandan jikomi (three-addition cold fermentation) using Kyoto-sourced yeast under the direction of a Nanbu Toji guild brewmaster, with Iwai polished to a 60% seimaibuai (ginjo grade); no distilled alcohol is added, preserving the full grain character. What distinguishes this expression within the Eikun range is its positioning as the accessible ginjo entry point to a house whose flagship Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo holds a 14-consecutive-year Gold Award record at the National New Sake Appraisal — the same rice, the same water, a different polish. Drink now through near-term; serve well-chilled at 10–12°C to preserve the delicate Iwai aromatics.