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Guida

Hoshinami Awaboshi Sparkling, 300ml

Bottle-fermented, 12% ABV, opens with a crown cap

¥2,200tax included≈ $15

New

星波 泡星 スパークリング 300ml

In stock

Where should we send it?

Quantity
1

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Hoshinami Awaboshi Sparkling, 300ml

¥2,200

Arrives as early as Mon 28 Sept

Shipping ¥1,320 to most of Japan · Ships refrigerated, cold-chain the whole way

  • A Japanese addressYes
  • Your hotel in JapanNot available
  • OverseasIn preparation

Hotels store parcels at room temperature, so chilled and frozen items can't go there.

We can't ship alcohol overseas yet; the export licence is in progress. Items without alcohol can be sent abroad today.

See shipping cost and timing

Shipping by zone: Anywhere in Japan ¥1,320 · Domestic shipping is free on orders over ¥15,000.

Shipped direct from the brewery, Mon–Thu only

You can choose a delivery date and time slot (Japanese addresses only)

The sale of alcohol to persons under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.

What is it?

A bottle-fermented sparkling sake from Hoshinami Shuzo in Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Gohyakumangoku rice milled to 60%, then re-fermented inside the bottle with a second dose of yeast and sugar. 300ml at 12% ABV, with a fine champagne-like bead.

Good for

  • A first sake for someone who has never had one
  • Toasts: easy to buy one per person
  • Wine drinkers who find sake heavy
  • A small, unfussy birthday or celebration gift

What does it taste like?

  • Aroma: green apple, lychee, warm rice
  • Palate: openly sweet, then pulled straight by acidity of 3.4
  • Fine bead that holds three to four minutes in the glass
  • 12% ABV, light for a sake

What's the specification?

Hoshinami Awaboshi Sparkling, 300ml — What's the specification?
ClassificationJunmai sparkling, bottle-fermented
RiceGohyakumangoku (grown in Niigata)
Polishing ratio60%lower means more grain milled away
Sake meter value-30sweet
Acidity3.41.4 is typical
Alcohol12%
Volume300ml
Serve atChilled
RegionMinamiuonuma, Niigata Prefecture
BreweryHoshinami Shuzo
ProcessSecond fermentation in bottle, unfiltered

How does this compare with our other sake?

Hoshinami Awaboshi Sparkling, 300ml — How does this compare with our other sake?
SpecHoshinami Awaboshi Sparkling, 300ml (this page)Akari Junmai Hibiakari, 720mlAkari Nigori Yukiakari, 720mlAkari Junmai Daiginjo Hatsuakari, 720ml
Price, tax included¥2,200¥2,860¥3,300¥8,800
ClassificationJunmai sparkling, bottle-fermentedJunmaiJunmai NigoriJunmai Daiginjo
RiceGohyakumangoku (grown in Niigata)Kaminoho (grown in Mie)Kaminoho (grown in Mie)Yamada Nishiki (grown in Hyogo)
Polishing ratio60%60%60%40%
Sake meter value-30+4-8+2
Acidity3.41.61.71.3
Alcohol12%15%14%15.5%
Volume300ml720ml720ml720ml
Serve atChilledChilled, Room temperature, WarmedChilled, On the rocksChilled, Room temperature
RegionMinamiuonuma, Niigata PrefectureIga, Mie PrefectureIga, Mie PrefectureIga, Mie Prefecture
BreweryHoshinami ShuzoAkari ShuzoAkari ShuzoAkari Shuzo
ProcessSecond fermentation in bottle, unfilteredPasteurised onceCoarse-strained, pasteurised oncePasteurised once, free-run middle cut
AvailabilityIn stockIn stockIn stockIn stock

How do you drink it?

  • 01

    Chill hard, to 5–8°C: lukewarm leaves only the sweetness

  • 02

    Serve in a flute or a slim glass so the bead lasts

  • 03

    Stand the bottle upright for 30 minutes before opening to settle any sediment

  • 04

    Pairs with prosciutto, fries, fried white fish and strawberries

  • 05

    The bubbles do not come back, so finish it the day you open it

The maker

About the maker

Hoshinami Shuzo is a small brewery under the snow in Uonuma, making around 200 koku a year, roughly 20,000 large bottles. Hoshino, the third-generation owner, started this sparkling in 2016.

From the person who chose it

The second fermentation runs about sixty days in a 5°C cellar. The yeast is stopped before it eats all the sugar, leaving a sake meter value of −30. It is sweet without being heavy because the acidity is high at 3.4: the effect of a squeeze of lemon, without the lemon.

— Gate Japan team, Guida

Can it be sent as a gift?

A box wrapped in unbleached paper and tied with linen twine

Each bottle ships in its own paper sleeve. Up to six fit one carton at a single shipping rate. Noshi paper and message cards available.

Noshi is the paper slip that traditionally accompanies a gift in Japan. Outer noshi goes over the wrapping, so the occasion is visible at a glance. Inner noshi goes under it, for a more understated gift, and is the usual choice for anything shipped.

Outer noshi
Inner noshiWrapping paper
  • Noshi, outer or inner
  • Gift box or furoshiki
  • Message card
  • Choose a delivery date and time slot (Japanese addresses)
  • No invoice in the box

Questions

Where in Japan can you deliver this?
Anywhere in Japan. Shipping is ¥1,320 (refrigerated delivery) and takes 2–4 business days after dispatch.
Can you deliver to my hotel while I am in Japan?
Hotel front desks hold parcels at room temperature, so chilled and frozen items cannot go there. We send those to an address instead.
Can you ship this abroad?
Shipping alcohol out of Japan needs an export licence for liquor wholesalers, which we are still obtaining. Until then we cannot send it abroad.
Does it need refrigeration?
It travels refrigerated the whole way. Redelivery keeps the cold chain, but please pick a date you can be in for. Chilled and frozen items cannot be sent to a hotel.
How long does it keep?
Six months from bottling, refrigerated. There is live yeast in the bottle, so a few days at room temperature will change it. Put it in the fridge as soon as it arrives.
Any trick to opening it?
It takes a bottle opener. Chill it well and let it stand upright for 30 minutes; opening a shaken bottle will foam over. Wrap it in a towel first if you are unsure.
Any allergens?
Rice, rice koji and sugar only, with none of Japan's declarable allergens. 12% ABV, 300ml.