Tokubetsu Honjozo (720 ml)

In 1915, Saito Shuzo adopted the name Eikun to mark Emperor Taisho's ascension — a deliberate act of identity that anchored the brewery's philosophy to Kyoto's cultural register rather than the competitive commercial mainstream. That philosophy persists in every tank at the Fushimi kura today. The brewery sits along the Takase River, drawing from 'Fusui', a low-iron, low-mineral soft-water spring beneath the Momoyama Hills — one of Japan's Ministry of the Environment-designated top 100 water sources. Soft water yields a slower, cooler fermentation and a rounder, less assertive texture: the defining character of Fushimi onna-zake, the so-called 'feminine sake' tradition, in direct contrast to the harder, drier Nada style. This Tokubetsu Honjozo is brewed under the Nanbu Toji guild using Kyoto-sourced yeast and the sandan jikomi (three-addition) fermentation method. Unlike Eikun's junmai range, a small addition of distilled alcohol is permitted here — a deliberate technique that lifts aromatic expression and sharpens the finish without adding sweetness. Rice is polished to approximately 60% seimaibuai, retaining enough grain character for texture while allowing clean, accessible aromatics. Within a house celebrated for 14 consecutive Gold Awards at the National New Sake Appraisal, this entry-grade expression delivers the Fushimi soft-water signature at its most approachable.