Honor Prize Recipients

Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast Category :  10 Manufacturers

Ginjō Category :  13 Manufacturers

The Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau Sake Awards 2024 were held for Ginjō-shu (see Note 1) entered from among sake manufacturers of the three Hokuriku prefectures. This year's sake quality evaluations, which were conducted between March 19 and March 22, considered 66 entries from 28 manufacturers in Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast (see Note 2) category, as well as 96 entries from 33 manufacturers in Ginjō category.

Based on the results of the quality evaluation, 10 manufacturers for Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast category and 13 manufacturers for Ginjō category were selected as winners of the Honor Prize. The Regional Commissioner presented the manufacturers and chief sake brewers with award certificates. For the names of the winners, etc., please refer to the attachment “List of Prize Winners”

• Note 1. Ginjō-shu refers to sake brewed using the ginjō-zukuri (Ginjō-making) method, which uses rice polished to 60% or less of the original grains and slow fermentation at low temperature. From the treatment of the ingredient rice, the selection of yeast, kōji-zukuri (koji-making), and fermentation to storing, bottling, and shipping, every step of the production process is managed using sophisticated techniques. The finished sake produced thereby has a pleasant, fruity aroma, and its exceptional quality makes it a masterpiece among sakes.
• Note 2. Kanazawa yeast is a strain of yeast grown within the jurisdiction of the Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau. Sake brewed with this yeast is noted for its "refreshing ginjō bouquet" and "light and gentle sweetness", among other characteristics. Ginjō-shu sakes made exclusively with Kanazawa yeast are entered in the Ginjō by Kanazawa Yeast category, while those made with other yeasts are entered in the Ginjō category.

Review

This brewing season presented considerable challenges due to the mild winter, resulting in temperatures generally higher than usual throughout the sake brewing period. Compounded by last summer's extreme heat, which had an adverse effect on the sake rice's solubility, this created a particularly demanding situation that required careful vigilance with regard to production management.

Despite these hurdles, the chief sake brewers (tōji) and their production teams fully demonstrated their exceptional technical skills in producing an array of outstanding sakes for this year's competition.

The sakes submitted to this year's tasting competition were remarkable for delivering an elegance in quality. The entries in the Ginjō-shu by Kanazawa-yeast category were widely appreciated for their refreshing ginjō aroma and light flavors with a smooth finish, while many of the entries in the Ginjō-shu category stood out for their delicate balance of fragrant aromas and sweetness.

In the Hokuriku region, which has been in the national spotlight for its resilience in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster and the anticipation surrounding the extension of the Hokuriku bullet train railway line, I am confident that the exceptional sakes from three prefectures within our jurisdiction will continue to earn widespread praise from consumers.

Director
Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau