Masumi Junmai Daiginjo Sanka (300 ml)

In 1946, Masumi's brewers isolated a yeast strain from their own fermentation tanks in Suwa, Nagano — a culture so reliable and expressive that the Brewing Association distributed it nationwide as Kyokai Yeast No. 7, now deployed by over 60% of Japan's sake producers. Masumi still brews with it exclusively, on the very site where it was born. The Suwa Moto-machi kura sits at the junction of the ancient Koshu Kaido road and the route to the Kirigamine Highlands, in a district historically called Shimizu-machi — 'Clear Water Village' — drawing snowmelt from the Yatsugatake (Eight Peaks) Range. That cold, mineral-laden alpine water shapes the sake's clean, high-toned character. The Sanka Junmai Daiginjo is brewed by the yamahai yeast-starter method: natural lactic-acid bacteria are cultivated in the shubo over approximately two weeks before fermentation begins — no commercially added lactic acid — yielding a structural backbone and lactic depth that sokujo-method daiginjo at this price point rarely achieves. Rice is milled in-house to daiginjo grade (≤50% seimaibuai), then fermented in three-stage sandan-jikomi. What sets Sanka apart: Masumi applies yamahai across its entire range, not as a premium-tier affectation — making this 300 ml format a rare entry point into full yamahai daiginjo complexity. Drink now or hold briefly chilled; the lactic structure gives it more table resilience than most daiginjo expressions.