HEAVENSAKE

HEAVENSAKE
TypePrivate
IndustryAlcoholic beverages
Founded2016 (2016)
HeadquartersBaar, Switzerland
Key people
Régis Camus (founder)
ServicesSake production and blending
Websitewww.heavensake.com

HEAVENSAKE is a Junmai sake brand created through a collaboration between French cellar master Régis Camus and Japanese sake breweries.[1] Established in 2016, the brand combines traditional Japanese sake brewing with the French blending technique known as assemblage.[2] HEAVENSAKE products are produced in Japan and distributed internationally.[3][4]

History

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]

Production

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]

Products

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]

Assemblage method

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]

Awards and recognition

  • 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][18]
  • Named “Best Sake,” Rolling Stone Spirit Awards, 2026.[20]

Press

May 2025

In May 2025, Forbes Japan profiled HEAVENSAKE's Label Noir Junmai Daiginjo in its "Savory Scenery" (美酒のある風景) series, describing the sake created by Champagne cellar master Régis Camus in collaboration with Niizawa Brewery.[21]

April 2026

In April 2026, Rolling Stone magazine named HEAVENSAKE "Best Sake" at its Spirit Awards.[22]

May 2026

In May 2026, The Japan Times published a feature on HEAVENSAKE titled "The Frenchmen who gave sake a Champagne soul," examining how founder Carl Hirschmann and former Champagne cellar master Régis Camus apply the assemblage blending technique to Japanese sake.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Brad (2022-04-22). "HEAVENSAKE". The Japanese Bar. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 King, Rachel (2024-10-01). "How This Luxury Sake Brand Is Applying French Winemaking Techniques". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  3. ↑ "Editor's Pick: HEAVENSAKE Premium Sake". Daily Front Row. 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  4. ↑ Beckett, Fiona (2024-05-17). "Why isn't sake more popular?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  5. 1 2 3 Japhe, Brad (2025-08-28). "When Sake Meets Champagne: Heavensake's East-West Alchemy". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Rasmussen, Christina (2017-04-24). "Tasting HeavenSake: a luxury sake blended by Régis Camus". The Buyer. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "HEAVENSAKE Interview". Sake World. 2025-09-08. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  8. 1 2 Alvarez, Richard (2024-10-11). "Q&A: Mastering the Art of Sake with Heavensake at Maison Mura". World Red Eye. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  9. 1 2 3 "Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute". Tengu Sake. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  10. ↑ Swartz, Kyle (2019-09-19). "Heavensake Expands Distribution with Southern Glazer's". Beverage Information Group. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  11. ↑ "Heavensake Announces Distribution with Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits". Wine Industry Advisor. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  12. 1 2 "Heavensake: Traditional Sake Made In The Style of Champagne". Heritage Radio Network. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  13. 1 2 3 "Luxury Japanese sake brand [HEAVENSAKE] releases new product". Sake World (in Japanese). 2025-04-18. Archived from the original on 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  14. ↑ Wu, Sylvia (2026-01-05). "Sake: A beginner's guide and top recommendations". Decanter. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  15. 1 2 Smith, Brad (2022-04-21). "HEAVENSAKE Junmai Daiginjo". The Japanese Bar. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  16. ↑ Cabrera, Chris (2025-04-04). ""BALLER SAKE" - HEAVENSAKE Noguchi Prestige 1 (Regis Camus and Noguchi". True Sake. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  17. ↑ "Introducing Heavensake 'Label Orange' Junmai Daiginjo". BevNET.com. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  18. 1 2 "HEAVENSAKE. The Award-Successful Japanese / French Infusion SAKE!". Beer Alien. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  19. ↑ "Heavensake Wins "Best Sake 2019" at San Francisco International Wine Competition". Beverage Trade Network. 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  20. ↑ "HEAVENSAKE named "Best Sake" at the Rolling Stone Spirit Awards". Rolling Stone. 2026-04-08. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
  21. ↑ "伝説のシャンパーニュ醸造家が息を吹き込み、誕生させた日本酒". Forbes JAPAN (in Japanese). 2025-05-02. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
  22. ↑ "HEAVENSAKE named "Best Sake" at the Rolling Stone Spirit Awards". Rolling Stone. 2026-04-08. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
  23. ↑ "The Frenchmen who gave sake a Champagne soul". The Japan Times. 2026-05-31. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
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