Junmai Daiginjo Banshuu Wataribune (720 ml)

Saito Shuzo has brewed along the Takase River in Fushimi, Kyoto since 1895, drawing exclusively from Fusui — a soft, low-iron underground spring beneath the Momoyama Hills, designated one of Japan's top 100 water sources. That mineral-lean water is the structural reason Eikun's sake sits in the onna-zake tradition: texturally yielding, with aromatics that are never hardened by mineral interference.

This expression departs from Eikun's house rice, Iwai, in favour of Banshuu Wataribune — a heritage variety from Hyogo Prefecture, the genetic ancestor of Yamada Nishiki, prized for its large grain and high starch core (shinpaku). Polished to ≤50% seimaibuai (daiginjo grade), the grain yields a clean, high-clarity fermentation. Cold fermentation proceeds using Kyoto-sourced yeast under the supervision of a Nanbu Toji guild brewmaster, following traditional sandan jikomi (three-stage addition) protocol.

The special feature here is the rice itself: Wataribune was nearly extinct before deliberate revival, and its use at daiginjo polish by a Kyoto kura — rather than a Hyogo brewery — is a cross-regional transgression that produces a broader, more grain-expressive profile than Eikun's Iwai-based flagship. Drink now through three years from production; best served at 10–12°C to preserve aromatic lift.