Bijofu Yuzu Shuwa (500 ml)

Hamakawa Shoten, founded in 1904 on a coastal strip between the Pacific and the Yanase cedar mountains in Tano-cho, built its reputation on brewing with ultra-soft nansui water drawn from the subterranean Nahari River — a water type once considered incompatible with quality sake production. Yuzu Shuwa (柚子シュワ) extends that philosophy into sparkling form, blending Bijofu's Ginjo sake base with yuzu juice sourced from Kochi Prefecture, where yuzu cultivation is a regional identity. The sake base is fermented using Kochi's proprietary CEL-24 yeast, one of Japan's most aromatic brewing strains, generating apple and citrus-forward isoamyl acetate compounds that amplify rather than compete with the yuzu's pithy, floral character. Secondary in-bottle fermentation — the same méthode used in Bijofu's sparkling Junmai Daiginjo — builds fine, persistent effervescence at 13% ABV, keeping the palate weight low and the yuzu's volatile aromatics intact. What sets this apart categorically: the carbonation is not force-injected but yeast-generated, giving a texture closer to pét-nat than to commercial sparkling sake. The nansui water's near-zero mineral hardness strips away any roughness, leaving the yuzu's bitter-citrus edge as the sole structural anchor — tart, clean, and unpadded.