HEAVENSAKE

HEAVENSAKE was founded in 2016 by Régis Camus and a group of French entrepreneurs to combine Japanese sake brewing with French blending expertise.^[5][6][7] Camus oversees the blending process in collaboration with Japanese tōji, maintaining traditional brewing methods while applying the assemblage technique.

The brand entered the Japanese market in 2024^[7][8] and has collaborated with several breweries, including Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, Niizawa Brewery, Urakasumi Brewery, and Dewazakura Brewery.^[2][6][9] Some releases were produced in collaboration with Noguchi Naohiko, who had not previously produced a high-end sake for another brand.^[5][2][9]

HEAVENSAKE is distributed internationally, including in Europe, North America, and Asia. In the United States, distribution began in 2019 through Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.^[10][11]

HEAVENSAKE products are produced in Japan using rice, water, kōji mold, and yeast. The brand applies a blending process in which different sake components are combined to achieve balance in aroma, flavor, and texture, adapting the assemblage method from Champagne production.^[6][12] Certain editions are presented in porcelain bottles produced by Arita Porcelain Lab.^[13]

Collaborating breweries include Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute in Ishikawa Prefecture, Niizawa Brewery in Miyagi Prefecture, Urakasumi Brewery in Shiogama, and Dewazakura Brewery in Yamagata Prefecture.^[2][6][9]

Sake expert John Gauntner noted initial skepticism about using assemblage in sake production, which he later revised after tasting a HEAVENSAKE blend.^[2]

HEAVENSAKE produces a range of Junmai sakes, including Junmai, Junmai Ginjo, and Junmai Daiginjo expressions.^[14][15] Collaborations with different breweries have resulted in several named releases, including:^[7][15]

• Prestige I (with Noguchi Naohiko)^[16]
• Prestige II ASSEMBLAGE Junmai Daiginjo^[13]
• Label Azur Junmai Daiginjo (with Dewazakura Brewery)^[13]
• Label Noir Junmai Daiginjo (with Niizawa Brewery)
• Label Orange Junmai Daiginjo (with Urakasumi Brewery)^[17]

HEAVENSAKE applies the French blending technique known as assemblage, commonly used in Champagne production, to sake, and was the first to bring the art of assemblage to Sake.^{[1][7][8][12]} Rather than bottling a single fermentation, different sake batches are combined to achieve a consistent balance across aroma, mouthfeel, and finish.^[2]

Camus has described the process as comparable to musical composition, in which multiple elements are combined to create a unified result.^[5]

• Eight-time “Winemaker of the Year,” International Wine Challenge – Régis Camus.^[2][18]
• Winner of “Best Sake,” San Francisco International Wine Competition, 2019 and 2020.^[19][20]