Appendix 3 "Chugoku Sake Awards 2016 Judging Report"
The following is a report on the situation regarding entries and judging results for the Chugoku Sake Awards 2016.
First of all, with regard to entry categories, 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 66 entries in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori”category, 63 entries in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji” category, and 57 entries in the “Kan” category for a total of 186 sakes entered by 68 brewers overall.
Next I will report on the judging. The quality of entries was evaluated by a total of 29 judges with detailed knowledge of sake brewing and excellent sensory evaluation abilities, including staff of organizations providing guidance regarding sake-brewing techniques in prefectures in the Chugoku region, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, and the National Research Institute of Brewing, as well as individuals involved in the production of sake and in the retailers, as well as technical officers from Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau. Judging took place carefully and strictly over a total of three days—September 29 and 30, 2016 (Preliminary Round) and October 4 (Final Round).
As a common concept throughout all of the categories, evaluation of sake quality was carried out with the aim of selecting sake of excellent quality reflecting the extent of their brewing techniques.
Furthermore, in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori” 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.
In the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji” category, judging focused on the harmony between aroma and taste while also emphasizing sake-like flavor.
In the “Kan” 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—26 in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori”category, 25 in the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji” category, and 22 in the “Kan” 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, there were numerous outstanding quality sake that reflected the high brewing techniques practiced by each of the breweries and the attentive care to detail that were given in its storage management.
In the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Kaori” category, many entries displayed opulent fragrances harmonized with elegant sweetness, and there were also entries with a serene fragrance that blended harmoniously with a mellow flavor achieved through an appropriate degree of maturation.
In the “Sakes whose main characteristic is Aji” category, there were a wide variety of entries ranging from those with refreshing tastes to those with sharpness characterized by acidity, as well as those that bring out a depth of taste, in addition to smooth-tasting sake brought forth by maturation.
In the “Kan” category, there were many entries that gave a sense of the profound depth of sake that can be enjoyed at a wide range of temperatures, such as those whose inherent sweetness deepens when they are warmed, filling the mouth with a well-rounded flavor, and those whose aroma and depth harmonize gently in the mouth due to an appropriate degree of maturation, as well as those with a smooth yet refreshing taste.
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 were 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 contributing to the development of the liquor industry. In future, we intend to continue making every effort to ensure that the goals of these Sake Awards are achieved 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 throughout not only Japan but also faraway countries throughout the world.
This concludes my Judging Report.
Atsushi Oyama
Director, Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Hiroshima Regional Taxation Bureau
October 26, 2016
