September has just begun this week, and I particularly enjoy this time of the year. It is when you can still enjoy the lingering feeling of summer while also beginning to sense the arrival of autumn.
I find myself thinking back to the sake I enjoyed during the hottest days of summer. At the same time, I look forward to the sake of autumn as the weather gradually begins to cool. There is something exciting about remembering the sake I have enjoyed and wondering what wonderful sake awaits me in the coming season.
After a hot and sweaty day outside, there is something comforting about returning to a cool, air-conditioned room and enjoying a refreshing glass of sake to quench your thirst.
If I were to pick one sake from this summer to enjoy again, Seikyo Junmai Sparkling from Nakao Brewery would be my choice. The bottle alone gives a refreshing impression, with its delicate pale blue glass and soft Tiffany-blue label.
Nakao Brewery is located in Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture, about a 25-minute drive from Hiroshima Airport. Founded in 1871, the brewery has a history spanning more than 150 years.
The brewery is best known for its two main sake brands, Seikyo and Maboroshi. Seikyo is a historic brand deeply rooted in Hiroshima, first created by the brewery's founder. Maboroshi, on the other hand, is a brand centered around ginjo and daiginjo sake brewed using a special apple-derived yeast.
This apple yeast is one of Nakao Brewery's unique achievements. The brewery spent 14 years testing more than 2,000 types of yeast before discovering and developing the one used for Maboroshi.
Knowing a little about the history and character of these two brands makes it even more interesting to sit back and enjoy this Junmai Sparkling.
Looking at the bottle, you can see that the sake has a slight cloudy appearance, with gentle carbonation created through secondary fermentation in the bottle. This is what makes a Junmai Sparkling so appealing.
It offers a light, delicate effervescence together with the soft, comforting character of junmai sake. Refreshing, easy to drink, and a fine match for the waning heat of early September.
Seikyo Junmai Sparkling
Ingredients: Rice (domestically produced), rice koji (made from domestically produced rice)
Rice: 100% rice grown in Hiroshima Prefecture
Rice polishing ratio: 65%
Alcohol content: 13%
Brewery: Nakao Brewery, Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
📒 Tasting Notes 📒
Appearance:
Gentle bubbles rise slowly through the sake, which has a slightly cloudy, pale appearance.
Aroma:
Delicate citrus and lychee aromas, with subtle notes reminiscent of syrup and soft shiratama dumpling.
Palate:
The citrus and lychee nuances continue on the palate, accompanied by gentle acidity and mellow sweetness that spread across the mouth with a fresh, juicy quality. A soft, rice-derived note reminiscent of shiratama—a Japanese rice-flour dumpling—can be found in the background. The finish is light and refreshing, disappearing smoothly with a relatively short aftertaste.
This is a sake that beautifully combines the gentle depth of junmai sake with the lively, refreshing character of sparkling sake.
Late summer fatigue starts to set in.
It’s a great time to treat yourself to a moment of rest, saying "Otsukaresama".
This drink offers a refreshingly light character that opens up with fine, delicate bubbles. It brings together the depth of Junmai characteristics with the lively lightness of a sparkling sake—a truly rewarding sip.
