HEAVENSAKE: A cultural exchange between Japanese & French Craftsmen

HEAVENSAKE are the new major players in the Sake game; representing the union of traditional Japanese sake-making practices with sophisticated French Champagne assemblage techniques, allowing for interesting and unique new flavours from classic ingredients.

Co-founded by renowned French Chef de Cave, Régis Camus, HEAVENSAKE is the first Franco-Japanese sake partnership. 

With an award-winning collection of five heavenly smooth premium sake (“BEST SAKE” winner at the San Francisco IWC in 2019 & 2020) – With its unique characteristics, HEAVENSAKE is the perfect drink for anybody seeking “A BETTER HIGH”.

Find out more about how HEAVENSAKE is revolutionising the way sake should be enjoyed.

Made in Japan: The Breweries

DASSAI 

This little gem in the Yamaguchi prefecture is known for only making Junmai Daiginjo sake using highly milled Yamada Nishiki rice. HEAVENSAKE’s Junmai Daiginjo (best sake 2019 & 2020) is a blend of Dassai 23 and Dassai 39 balanced to perfection by master blender Regis Camus.

URAKASUMI

Owned by one of the most iconic figures of the sake industry, Saura san, this brewery is known for its unique “Kyokai no.12” yeast and providing sacred sake to the Shiogama shrine. our acclaimed Junmai Ginjo is a blend based on Urakasumi’s zen and three other sakes from this almost 300-year-old brewery.

KONISHI 

Developing HEAVENSAKE’s Junmai 12, a sake with 25% less alcohol and calories than classic sakes, without compromising on taste. was a technical challenge masterfully solved thanks to the great collaboration with Konishi’s Toji master and his team.

Meet Co-Founder Régis Camus

Camus is an eight-time winner of the INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE’S coveted “WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR” award, the world’s best and most rigorously assessed wine competition. Camus’ vision applies his expertise in the technique of combining Champagne vintages to HEAVENSAKE, in contrast to typical batched sakes.

Regis’s skilful assembly, which blends distinct sake from the partner brewery, provides the sake with unrivalled smoothness. Regis designed five versions in collaboration with the Tojis (sake brewers) that all satisfy the highest criteria of balance, purity, and refinement to convey the concept of Junmai. Dassai, Urakasumi, Konishi, and Hakushika are the four HEAVENSAKE breweries, and they are among Japan’s most prestigious.

What to pair HEAVENSAKE with?

HEAVENSAKE is formed with only three ingredients: rice, water, and koji for fermentation, which is comparable to beer production. It is meant to be enjoyed at any time of day, much like a glass of wine or a fine fresh beer. 

Each flavor is intended to be served cold in a wine glass. Sulfite-, gluten-, and additive-free, and three times less acidic than wine, the unique mixes are all-natural, made without distilled alcohol or added sugar, sulfite-, gluten-, and additive-free. 

Find out more about HEAVENSAKE’s expressions and what to pair them with below.

HEAVENSAKE’s Four Expressions

HEAVENSAKE’s four expressions are all from the famed Junmai sake class, which means “PURE” in Japanese, with 2x JUNMAI DAIGINJO, 2x JUNMAI GINGO, and their unique invention “JUNMAI 12,” a 12 per cent Low ABV/Low-Calorie sake with 25% less alcohol and 25% fewer calories than other Junmai sakes.

JUNMAI DAIGINJO

MSRP for 1 bottle: $84.99 | 720ML | ABV: 16%

• Dassai Brewery (founded in 1890): Located in the Yamaguchi prefecture, Dassai has been brewing sake for 200 years and is renowned for only making Junmai Daiginjo using highly milled Yamana Nishiki rice.
• Begins with delicate floral, grape, apple, and lush tropical fruit on the nose. The palate is vibrant, rich, and aromatic with flavors of early summer pears, wild red berries, and muscat grapes. Recommended pairings: uni, lobster, pata negia iberico ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, ingredients with strong Unami, tiramisu, chocolate fondant, crème brûlée.
• To Camus, Daiginjo is like walking into a magnificent Japanese palace with a sense of joy and refinement.

JUNMAI GINJO

MSRP for 1 bottle: $39.99 | 720ML | ABV: 15%

• Urakasumi Brewery: Located in the Miyagi prefecture, founded in 1724, Urakasumi has provided the sacred sake for the Shiogama Shrine. The 13th generation of the Saura family manages the brewery.
• On the nose are notes of lemon peel, cocoa, and crème brûlée, accompanied by a crisp, light, and refreshing palate with honeycomb, nougat, and white raisin. Recommended pairings: ceviche, raw oysters, tuna tartare, arctic char, sashimi, sushi, green salads, tempura vegetables, lightly spicy food, chicken.
• For Camus, Ginjo is like the first day of Spring with its warm rays of sunshine.

JUNMAI 12

MSRP for 1 bottle: $29.99 | 720ML | ABV: 12.5% 

• Konishi Brewery: Located in the Hyogo Prefecture, Hakushika is the oldest single-family brewery dating back to 1550. The 16th generation of the family is managing the business with Akiko Konishi as their first female CEO.
• The nose offers rich notes of salted caramel, cacao, kumquat, and almond, followed by a round palate, dry to off-dry, and pleasing pastry notes with a bright, fresh finish. Recommended pairings include ceviche, raw oysters, tuna tartare, poached fish, shrimp cocktails, sashimi, Margherita pizza, burgers, New York strip steaks. According to Camus, Junmai 12 is inspired by the rosés of Provence and the lightness of champagne – elegant and easy on the palate.

SAKE BABY!

MSRP for 1 bottle: $19.99 | MSRP for a 3-pack: $59.00 | 300ML | ABV: 15.5%

• Hakushika Brewery: Hakushika became famous in the 1600s for its innovative sake brewing techniques. Hakushika means “white deer” in Japanese and symbolizes longevity.
• Floral on the nose with hints of jasmine and violet, featuring a fruity flavor with silky pear and white plum notes. Pairs well with sushi, pizza, pasta, rice, and raspberries.

Designing HEAVENSAKE

For 18 months, the HEAVENSAKE bottle design team worked on the challenge of creating a silhouette that honours Japanese culture’s modest beauty whilst expressing the brand’s modern originality.

As a result, the bottle symbolises the purity of water, the essence of champagne, and the everlasting nature of wine – life in a drop.

In honour of the brand’s Franco-Japanese heritage, the HEAVENSAKE logo (RAKKAN) features a six-sided hexagon to represent France, while the interior lines are inspired by Japanese kanji, creating three hexagons to represent water, rice, and koji – the three main ingredients that make sake.

Embracing HEAVENSAKE

For 18 months, the HEAVENSAKE bottle design team worked on the challenge of creating a silhouette that honours Japanese culture’s modest beauty whilst expressing the brand’s modern originality.

As a result, the bottle symbolises the purity of water, the essence of champagne, and the everlasting nature of wine – life in a drop.

In honour of the brand’s Franco-Japanese heritage, the HEAVENSAKE logo (RAKKAN) features a six-sided hexagon to represent France, while the interior lines are inspired by Japanese kanji, creating three hexagons to represent water, rice, and koji – the three main ingredients that make sake.