Iyo Kagiya Muroka Daiginjo White (720 ml)

The Shuto family has held the keys to Saijo's rice stores since the Edo period — the brewery name Kagiya literally means 'Key-House' — and that custodial identity still drives a philosophy of preservation over intervention. This Muroka Daiginjo White is the clearest expression of that ethos: no activated-charcoal filtration (muroka), no pasteurisation, no dilution, bottled at a natural ~17–17.5% ABV. The water source is a subterranean spring fed by Mt. Ishizuchi (1,982 m), Shikoku's highest peak, delivering exceptionally soft water through the Saijo aquifer — a chemistry that supports the delicate, low-stress fermentation required at the daiginjo level. Matsuyama Mii rice, an Ehime-native large-grain variety, is polished to 50% seimaibuai, and fermentation is conducted at low temperature by a five-person team using Yeast No. 9 (Kumamoto-kei), a strain selected for floral aromatic lift rather than brute power. What sets this expression apart within its category is the deliberate rejection of charcoal stripping at the daiginjo tier: where most producers use carbon filtration to achieve the visual clarity the grade demands, Iyo Kagiya accepts the faint golden hue and retains the full rice-derived texture. As a namagenshu release, it requires refrigerated storage and rewards drinking within the near term for peak freshness.