Iyo Kagiya Muroka Junmai Ginjo Black (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 shapes every production decision at Seiryo Shuzo. Founded in 1877, the kura draws its water from a subterranean aquifer fed by Mt. Ishizuchi (1,982 m), Shikoku's highest peak, delivering exceptionally soft water through the Dōzen Plain that suppresses aggressive fermentation and coaxes delicate ginjo character.

The Black label is built on Matsuyama Mii, an Ehime-native large-grain variety polished to 60% seimaibuai and fermented with Yeast No. 9 (Kumamoto-kei) at low temperature during the mild Ehime winter. The muroka designation means no activated-charcoal filtration; combined with no pasteurisation and no dilution (namagenshu), the sake arrives at 17–17.5% ABV with its natural texture and rice-derived umami fully intact — a direct contrast to the carbon-stripped clarity of most commercial ginjo.

What sets this expression apart within its category is the explicit shokuchu-shu philosophy: where most junmai ginjo compete on aromatic lift, Iyo Kagiya deliberately subordinates fragrance to clean, non-fatiguing umami — a structural choice that makes it function more like a white Burgundy at table than a showcase ginjo. Requires refrigerated storage throughout.