Honor Prize Recipients

Ginjo-shu Category :  13 Manufacturers

Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast Category :  14 Manufacturers

The Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau Sake Awards 2022 were held for Ginjo-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 23 and March 25, considered 102 entries from 34 manufacturers in Ginjo-shu category, as well as 90 entries from 38 manufacturers in Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast (see Note 2) category.

Based on the results of the quality evaluation, 13 manufacturers for Ginjo-shu category and 14 manufacturers for Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast 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. Ginjo-shu refers to sake brewed slowly at low temperature under the so-called Ginjo-zukuri (Ginjo-making) method with highly polished rice. Sophisticated technologies play a role in managing the treatment of ingredient rice, yeast selection, koji-zukuri (koji-making), fermentation, as well as in storing, bottling, and shipping. With a quality tantamount to a work of art, the finished sake presents a pleasant, fruity aroma.
• Note 2. The "Kanazawa-yeast" mentioned for this event is a yeast strain that was selected in the past at the Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau as a superior yeast for sake brewing. With a record of prevalent use, the strain is said to produce sake with a calm aroma and a smooth, sharp taste with fullness of body. The entries to Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast category comprise those brewed solely with Kanazawa-yeast.

Review

Last year’s summer was blessed with favorable weather, encouraging the production of ingredient rice of excellent quality. Moreover, the climate during the brewing season also proved ideal, with consistently low temperatures throughout, making for a good year overall for sake brewing.

Under these conditions, the toji (sake brewmasters) and the other members of the production staff exercised their superior technical skills to the fullest extent, resulting in many excellent sake entries.

Many of the entries submitted to this year’s competition in Ginjo-shu category were characterized by a gorgeous ginjo-aroma carefully balanced with a full-bodied flavor, while many in Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa yeast category exhibited a refreshing ginjo-aroma with a smooth flavor and crisp aftertaste. All entries were sakes of refined quality, without exception.

We fully expect that these high-quality sakes will help overcome the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, further cementing Hokuriku’s reputation as an acclaimed sake-brewing region.

Director
Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau