Honor Prize Recipients

Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast Category : 12 Manufacturers

Ginjō Category : 13 Manufacturers

The Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau Sake Awards 2026 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 24 and March 26, considered 74 entries from 30 manufacturers in Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast (see Note 2) category, as well as 91 entries from 33 manufacturers in Ginjō category.
　Based on the results of the quality evaluation, 12 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 saw a cold wave hit at the end of January, while temperatures remained comparatively high during the rest of the season, making it a year that required careful management of the moromi (fermentation mash). We have also heard that, as in the previous year, the intense summer heat during the ripening period of sake rice varieties such as Yamada Nishiki (which is used especially for Daiginjō) made it especially difficult to break down the rice in the moromi.
　Even under these demanding conditions, the chief sake brewers (tōji) and their production teams demonstrated remarkable technical skill and dedication. Their efforts yielded a diverse range of outstanding sakes.
　The entries submitted to this year's competition were distinguished by an elegant and refined quality. Many of the sakes in the Ginjō by Kanazawa-yeast category featured a refreshing Ginjō bouquet, coupled with a light texture and a clean, crisp finish. Entries in the Ginjō category offered a graceful ginjō aroma balanced beautifully by a soft sweetness. All entries were of such refined quality and so evenly matched that it was difficult to rank them in terms of excellence.
　As the Hokuriku region draws renewed national attention in its recovery from the earthquake and flood disasters, I have every confidence that the exceptional sakes brewed in the three prefectures under our jurisdiction will continue to earn the admiration of many consumers.

 

Sakamoto Kazutoshi
Director, Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau