Kitaya Gin No Sato Sparkling Sake

Volume: 0.72 litres | Alcohol content: 12% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Natural bottle fermentation shapes this sparkling sake from Kitaya. It is made exclusively with Gin No Sato rice from Yame in Fukuoka Prefecture. A second fermentation in the bottle produces the fine bubbles: the carbonation develops through fermentation rather than being added artificially. The ingredients are Japanese rice and rice koji.

The sake is clear in the glass, with fine, persistent bubbles. Its balance of subtle sweetness and refreshing acidity makes it well suited both as an aperitif and alongside food. Served at around 10 °C, it pairs, for example, with sushi, white fish or tempura. The bottle contains 0.72 litres at an alcohol content of 12%.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The aroma combines pear and white peach with floral notes and a hint of rice blossom.
• Palate: The sake feels soft and creamy on the palate. Very light sweetness sits alongside subtle acidity and mineral freshness, while the fine bubbles enliven the mouthfeel.
• Finish: The finish is soft and clean, with a subtle freshness that lingers.

Distillery/Bottler:

Kitaya was founded in 1820 in Yame, in the southern part of the Tsukushi Plain on Kyushu. The brewery's history is closely linked to the Kinoshita family. For sake production, it uses groundwater from the Yabe River, whose headwaters lie near Mount Shaka and Mount Gozen. Local water and rice are important foundations of its work, and its sake is intended to accompany Fukuoka's cuisine.

Alongside sake, Kitaya also produces shochu and has expanded its technical capabilities over the decades. In 1973, the brewery was an early adopter of reduced-pressure distillation for shochu; a new facility with a modern bottling line followed in 1997. Its Daiginjo Gokujo Kitaya gained international recognition in 2013 when it was named Champion Sake at the International Wine Challenge.

Facts: