Announcing the most delicious commercially-available sake in the world!

Announcing the most delicious commercially-available sake in the world!

Competition perfect as your guidance for selecting great sake

“SAKE COMPETITION 2019,” a sake-tasting event to decide the most delicious sake in the world among commercially-available sake, was held.

Don’t you think selecting sake is difficult?

When you choose sake, what kind of criteria do you use? If you have deep knowledge about sake, you can choose one based on your knowledge and/or preference. But without such knowledge or preference, won’t you get lost in choosing one? Are you the one thinking, “There is not much information on sake bottle labels, but there are many special terms. I don’t know what I should rely on when I want to choose one,” “Sake is difficult!” or “I want to know which ones are delicious”? If so, here is great news for you! “SAKE COMPETITION 2019,” a sake tasting event, was held and the world’s best sake for 2019 was announced.

About “SAKE COMPETITION”

An annual “SAKE COMPETITION” was launched as a competition exclusively targeting sake based on the idea to “show new criteria so that people can have a better chance to find truly delicious sake regardless of its brand.” The event host is the SAKE COMPETITION execution committee. Sake varies significantly in quality, so the event is designed and held to clarify good sake selection criteria by collecting many kinds of sake and evaluating their qualities. The judges are blinded for brand name in order to give evaluation exclusively based on sake quality, thereby offering every entered sake, regardless of brand or name value, an opportunity to win the top prize.

At the Preliminary Judging for “SAKE COMPETITION 2019” on May 14, there were a total of 1,919 sake entries from 413 sake breweries in Japan as well as 13 from the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, and New Zealand. They were evaluated in a total of seven categories, including “Junmai,” “Junmai Ginjo,” “Junmai Daiginjo,” “Ginjo,” “Sparkling,” “Super Premium,” and “Oversea Brewed Sake.” The final judging was held on May 16, and the gold prize awardees in each category (top 3 for the “Super Premium” and “Sparkling” categories, top 1 for the “Oversea Brewed Sake,” and top 10 for other categories) were announced at the awarding ceremony held at The Peninsula Tokyo on June 10.

Judges evaluating sake at “SAKE COMPETITION 2019”

Judges evaluating sake at “SAKE COMPETITION 2019”

Judges evaluating sake at “SAKE COMPETITION 2019”

SAKE COMPETITION 2019 GOLD Awardees

Data from SAKE COMPETITION Official site（https://sakecompetition.com/）

“Junmai” category

1st place: “HOKEN, Junmai, retro label” byHoken Brewery (Hiroshima)

2nd place: “BIJOFU, Tokubetsu Junmai” by Hamakawa Shoten (Kochi)

3rd place: “HOKEN, Junmai, Hiroshima yume-kobo” by Hoken Brewery(Hiroshima)

4th place: “BIJOFU, Junmai Shintaro” by Hamakawa Shoten (Kochi)

5th place: “SHIZENGO, Hojun Junmai” by Oki Daikichi Honten (Fukushima)

6th place: “MINENOHAKUBAI, Junmai” by Minenohakubai (Niigata)

7th place: “HIROTOGAWA, Tokubetsu Junmai” by Matsuzaki Shuzo (Fukushima)

8th place: “MIMUROSUGI, Roman series, Tokubetsu Junmai, Karakuchi, Tsuyuhakaze” by Imanishi Brewery (Nara)

9th place: “HIROKI, Tokubetsu Junmai” by Hiroki Shuzo Honten (Fukushima)

10th place: “MIMUROSUGI, Dio Abita” by Imanishi Brewery(Nara)

“Junmai” category

“Junmai Ginjo” category

1st place: “HIROKI, Junmai Ginjo” by Hiroki Shuzo Honten (Fukushima)

2nd place: “ISOJIMAN, Junmai Ginjo” by Isojiman Shuzo (Shizuoka)

3rd place: “SUZUKAGAWA, Junmai Ginjo” by Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten(Mie)

4th place: “SHICHISUI, Junmai Ginjo 55, Omachi” by Toraya Honten(Tochigi)

5th place: “ZAKU, Miyabinotomo” by Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten (Mie)

6th place: “KATSUYAMA, Junmai Ginjo, Ken” by Katsuyama Supreme SAKE (Miyagi)

7th place: “GOKEIJI, Junmai Ginjo, Omachi” by Aoki Sake Brewing Company （https://www.facebook.com/gokeijikoga/）(Ibaraki)

8th place: “AIZUMUSUME, Junmai Ginjo, Haguronishi 64” by Takahashi Shosaku Shuzoten(Fukushima)

9th place: “JUYONDAI, Nakadori Junmai Ginjo, Aiyama” by Takagi Brewery (Yamagata)

10th place: “IMANISHI, Junmai Ginjo, Asahi” By Imanishi Brewery(Nara)

“Junmai Ginjo” category

“Junmai Daiginjo” category

1st place “ZAKU, Asahimai” by Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten(Mie)

2nd place: “TAIHEIZAN, Junmai Daiginjo, Tenko 35” by Kodama-Jozo (Akita)

3rd place: “HAGINOTSURU, Junmai Daiginjo” by Hagino Shuzou (Miyagi)

4th place: “KAIUN, Junmai Daiginjo, Haseshokichi” by Doi Brewery (Shizuoka)

5th place: “FUKUKOMACHI, Junmai Daiginjo” by Kimura Brewery (Akita)

6th place: “SANRAN, Junmai Daiginjo, Yamadanishiki” by Tonoike Shuzouten (Tochigi)

7th place: “Junmai Daiginjo, GOKYO KINTAI” by Sakai Brewery (Yamaguchi)

8th place: “KISOJI Junmai Daiginjo, Yamadanishiki, Migaki 35” by Yukawa Sake Brewery(Nagano)

9th place: “ISOJIMAN, Junmai Daiginjo 40, Saito” by Isojiman Shuzo (Shizuoka)

10th place: “KAMEIZUMI Kihin” by Kameizumi Sake Brewing(Kochi)

“Junmai Daiginjo” category

“Ginjo” category

1st place: “TENJOMUGEN, Daiginjo, Yamadanishiki” by Nakayu Sake Brewery (Miyagi)

2nd place: “KIWAMIHIJIRI, Daiginjo” by Miyashita Sake Brewery (Okayama)

3rd place: “SHIRAGIKU, Tokubetsu-gentei, Daiginjo” by Hirose Shoten (Ibaraki)

4th place: “SAKURAGUBUKI, Daiginjo” by Kanemitsu Shuzo (Hiroshima)

5th place: “GAKUJUBO, Daiginjo” by Toyokuni Shuzo (Fukushima)

6th place: “MOMOKAWA, Daiginjo, Yamadanishiki” by Momokawa (Aomori)

7th place: “TAIHEIZAN, Daiginjo” by Kodama Brewing (Akita)

8th place: “FUKUKOMACHI, Daiginjo” by Kimura Brewery (Akita)

9th place: “BUNRAKU, Daiginjo, Fukurotori Muroka Nakagumi” by Kitanishi Shuzo (Saitama)

10th place: “WAKAEBISU, Daiginjo” by Wakaebisu Shuzo (Mie)

“Ginjo” category

“SUPER PREMIUM” category

1st place: “JUYONDAI, Ryusen” by Takagi Shuzo (Yamagata)

2nd place: “KARIHO, Someikai, Junmai Daiginjo” by Akita Seishu (Akita)

3rd place: “ZAKU, Satori” by Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten (Mie)

“SUPER PREMIUM” category

“Sparkling” category

1st place “DEWATSURU, awa sake, Ashitahe” by Akita Seishu (Akita)

2nd place: “SPARKLING RAIFUKU” by Raifuku Shuzo (Ibaraki)

3rd place: “YATSUSHIKA, sparkling, Niji” by Yatsushika Brewery(Oita)

“Sparkling” category

“Oversea Brewed Sake” category

1st place: “Coastal Ginjo” by Sequoia Sake Company（https://www.facebook.com/sequoiasake/）(San Francisco)

“Oversea Brewed Sake” category

Please use these results as your guidance to find your favorite sake.