Appendix 3 “Chugoku Sake Awards 2014 Judging Report”
Judging Report
The following is a report on the situation regarding entries and judging results for the Chugoku Sake Awards 2014.
First of all, with regard to entry categories, as in the previous year judging was carried out in three categories— “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori (flavor)”, “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji (taste)”, and “Kan (warmed sake)”—so as to enable brewers to select an entry category according to the characteristics of their product.
Here I will report on the status of entries. Of the three judging categories, there were 71 entries in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori (flavor)” category, 72 entries in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji (taste)” category, and 60 entries in the “Kan (warmed sake)” category for a total of 203 sakes entered by 76 brewers overall.
Next I will report on the judging. The quality of entries was evaluated by a total of 27 judges with detailed knowledge of sake brewing and excellent sensory evaluation abilities, including staff of Prefectural University of Hiroshima, National Research Institute of Brewing, and organizations providing guidance regarding brewing techniques in prefectures in the Chugoku region as well as individuals involved in the manufacture and sale of sake, as well as Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau appraisers. Judging took place carefully and strictly over a total of four days—September 24 and 25, 2014 (Preliminary Round) and September 29 and 30 (Final Round).
As a common concept throughout all of the categories, evaluation of sake quality was carried out with the aim of selecting sakes of which the Chugoku Region can boast due to their excellent quality as sakes reflecting the extent of their brewing techniques. Furthermore, in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori (flavor)” category, judging focused on the existence (or not) of harmony between aroma and taste, with aroma represented by the high-quality ginjo-shu fragrance as the main factor. Next, in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji (taste)” category, judging focused on the harmony between aroma and taste while also emphasizing sake-like flavor. Also, in the “Kan (warmed sake)” category, judging focused on the harmony between aroma and taste when the sake was warmed.
When entries were evaluated using both the results of these quality evaluations and entry standards, etc., a total of 73 sakes deemed to be appropriate prize recipients in the various categories—21 in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori (flavor)” category, 29 in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji (taste)” category, and 23 in the “Kan (warmed sake)” category—were recommended to the head of the Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau, and these outstanding brewers were presented here with their awards today.
With regard to the overall evaluation of the sake entries, not only were the excellent brewing techniques cultivated and honed by each brewery on full display, but also numerous superlative quality sakes that give a sense of the appropriateness of storage management undertaken by these breweries were presented. In the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori (flavor)” category, opulent fragrances harmonized with smooth flavors achieved through maturation, with many entries displaying excellent balance between aroma and taste, their content providing a sense of the advanced level of brewing techniques.
In the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji (taste)” category, while maintaining the taste of rice, sake’s main raw ingredient, there were numerous entries that also displayed individuality and unique characteristics, ranging from dry sakes with a deep flavor to smooth-tasting sakes with a refreshing aftertaste. In the “Kan (warmed sake)” category, there were many entries appropriate for consumption during meals and catered to a wide range of tastes, such as sakes whose inherent taste deepens when they are warmed and in which one feels a gentle flavor, and others whose flavor seems to sharpen and become more acidic when the sake is warmed.
I would therefore like to convey my heartfelt congratulations as well as my great admiration to the operators of these outstanding breweries that have been selected to receive awards amongst such high-level competition and the staff responsible for producing these excellent sakes.
In addition, I would like to say to those breweries that unfortunately just missed out on receiving an award this time that the differences in scores was very small. Rather than being dismayed by this year’s results, I hope that brewers will make an even greater effort towards production this season.
These Sake Awards are held with the aim of “promoting the development and advancement of sake brewing techniques as well as enhancing the quality of sakes in the Chugoku region, thereby sound development of the liquor industry”, and in future we intend to continue making every effort to ensure that the Sake Awards achieve these goals while taking into consideration the opinions and suggestions of both brewers and quality judges. I would therefore ask you for your continuing understanding and cooperation, as well as your opinions and requests.
In conclusion, I would like to mention that the season for full-scale sake production will soon be upon us. It is my sincere hope that, through the efforts of brewers and others involved in sake brewing to study even further regarding sake production techniques and storage management overall and provide consumers with high-quality, richly individual products, the names of traditional sakes famous in the Chugoku region will spread not only throughout Japan but also faraway countries throughout the world.
This concludes my Judging Report.
Takashi Suzuki
Director, Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau
October 21, 2014
