Masumi Junmai Ginjo Shiro White (720 ml)

In 1946, Masumi's brewers isolated a yeast strain from their own fermentation tanks in Suwa, Nagano — a strain so performant that the Brewing Association distributed it nationally, and today over 60% of Japan's sake breweries ferment with what is now called Kyokai Yeast No. 7. Masumi still brews every sake with it, including this Junmai Ginjo. The Suwa Moto-machi kura sits at the historic junction of the Koshu Kaido road and the Kirigamine Highlands route, in a district long called Shimizu-machi — Clear Water Village — drawing snowmelt from the Yatsugatake (Eight Peaks) Range. That ultra-soft alpine water, combined with Suwa Basin's cold mountain air, drives a slow, clean fermentation that preserves delicate ginjo aromatics without sacrificing structure. The Shiro White is brewed via the yamahai yeast-starter method: natural lactic-acid bacteria are cultivated in the shubo tank over approximately two weeks before yeast is introduced — no commercially added lactic acid — producing higher natural acidity and a layered umami backbone that sokujo-method ginjo rarely achieves at this polish level. Rice is milled in-house at Masumi's own polishing plant, with Miyama Nishiki — Nagano's signature cold-climate sake rice — forming the primary grain. What sets this expression apart is the application of yamahai across an entry-accessible ginjo tier: most breweries reserve this labour-intensive method for premium daiginjo. The result is a ginjo with genuine lactic tension and food-driving acidity rather than the soft, fruit-forward profile the grade typically delivers.