Chiyomusubi Sparkling Sake ‘Syuwatto Sora’ (720 ml)

Founded in 1865 and stewarded by the Okasora family through the Taishō era and beyond, Chiyomusubi built its reputation on density and structure — which makes Syuwatto Sora ('Fizzy Sky') a deliberate departure: a sparkling sake designed to carry the brewery's signature soft-water character in a lighter, effervescent frame. Brewing water is drawn from a natural spring in Daito Town, Shimane Prefecture, at the foot of the Chugoku Mountains — a slightly soft source collected by hand each day during the brewing season, a three-hour round trip from the brewery. That softness suppresses harsh minerality and allows delicate CO₂ texture to read cleanly on the palate. Fermentation follows the brewery's low-temperature protocol, with steamed rice cooled by hand rather than machine to ensure uniform core temperature — a labour-intensive step that controls ester development precisely. The brewery maintains a proprietary yeast collection, selecting and preserving the best-performing strains annually, giving each expression a house aromatic signature rather than a generic ginjo profile. What sets Syuwatto Sora apart within Chiyomusubi's range is its structural inversion: where the flagship Gōriki Daiginjo pursues weight and aging potential, this expression prioritises freshness and immediate accessibility — a rare concession to lightness from a brewery philosophically committed to richness. Best consumed young, chilled, to preserve the effervescence and forward fruit character.