Daimon 35 Junmai Daiginjo (720 ml)

In 2017, Marcus Consolini became the first non-Japanese owner of a sake brewery in Japan when he acquired Daimon Shuzo — a 1826-founded kura in Katano City, Osaka, where 6th-generation Yasutaka Daimon and toji Ryosuke Uei have held the brewing line intact. That continuity matters technically: the house philosophy is Rich Dry (Kamigata style), a deliberate counter-position to both Niigata's lean tanrei karakuchi and the overtly fruity modern ginjo school.

The brewery sits at the foot of the Ikoma mountain range, drawing natural soft spring water from the Settsu and Ikoma mountains — low mineral content that allows the rice character to dominate without hardness. Yamada Nishiki, the benchmark sake rice, is polished to ≤35% seimaibuai — the Super-Daiginjo threshold — meaning over 65% of each grain is removed before fermentation begins.

Fermentation follows sandan-jikomi (three-stage addition) at ginjo-low temperatures, extending the moromi period to build layered complexity. Batches are fixed at 10 kg — a scale that makes mechanisation impractical and keeps every step except koji production entirely by hand. The '35' designation signals the polish ratio itself as the product's identity: no added alcohol, no volume ambition, no compromise on grain reduction.

NV as all sake; drink within 12–18 months of release, served well-chilled at 8–10°C to preserve the aromatic lift that the extreme polish unlocks.