November 13, 2014
Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau

• 1 Outline
• 2 Entry
• 3 Quality Examinations
• 4 Awards
• 5 Statistics
• 6 List of Prize Winners
  • (1) Ginjo-shu Category
  • (2) Junmai-shu Category

1. Outline

(1) About the Tohoku Sake Awards
The Tohoku Sake Awards (Tohoku Seishu Kanpyokai) are held annually during the autumn under the auspices of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau. The purpose of this competition is to raise the technical level of sake manufacturers in the Tohoku region (i.e., Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima Prefectures), thereby contributing to the sound development of the sake brewing industry in Japan.
The sake brewers of the Tohoku region are renowned for their first-class brewing technique. Using top-quality rice, they dedicate the entirety of both their skill and effort to produce the “best sake" possible.
Sakes submitted to the Tohoku Sake Awards comprise those brewed during the previous winter and left to mature for about six months. After a stringent process including careful examination by a jury of experts, sakes of only the most prominent quality are selected. Prizes are awarded to the winning manufacturers at the commendation ceremony.

(2) Review of 2014
In 2014, 149 breweries submitted a total of 399 sakes to two categories, ginjo-shu and junmai-shu. The quality examinations were held in October with 74 of the participating breweries winning prizes. Certificates were then granted to the prize winners of each category at a commendation ceremony held on November 13 by the Commissioner of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau.
In addition to the two categories mentioned above, a new trial category of junmai-shu was started. This new category was differentiated from the pre-established category by its submission requirements; sakes submitted to this new category had to have a rice polishing rate of 60% or more (no limit was placed on the rice polishing rate of sakes submitted to the conventional junmai-shu category). A total of 64 entries from the six prefectures in the Tohoku region were submitted to this new category. However, as this new category was only introduced on a trial basis, no award was presented to the entrants, and the details and results of the examinations have been omitted in this report.
Although the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck the Tohoku region in March 2011 caused severe damage to a great many breweries, sakes submitted to the Tohoku Sake Awards still exhibited superb quality, mainly due to Japanese brewing techniques of the topmost level. This highlights the strong unyielding will of the Tohoku region breweries and clearly shows that they have already taken great steps toward recovery.

2. Entry

(1) Qualification for entry
Licensed sake breweries located within the jurisdiction of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau (i.e., Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima Prefectures)

(2) Eligible sakes
Sakes of the following categories that were brewed at the entrant's own production site between July 2013 and June 2014

(3) Categories
Ginjo-shu and Junmai-shu, as stipulated in the “Labeling Standard for the Manufacturing Process and Quality of Sake" (NTA notice #8 in 1989)

(4) Maximum number of entries
Two Ginjo-shu and one Junmai-shu entry per licensed sake brewery

3. Quality Examinations

(1) Schedule
-Preliminary examination: October 8-10, 2014
-Final examination: October 15, 2014

(2) Process
The jurors assess the quality of each sample by sensory evaluation. All examinations are blinded and administered by category. During preliminary examinations, each sample is scrutinized for distinct attributes of aroma, taste, and appearance to clarify a sensory profile. The samples are also given scores based on their overall quality. After this preliminary process, the highest scoring entries, which represent approximately half of the total entries, are selected for the final examination. During the final examination, the chosen sakes are once again judged and subsequently ranked by their overall quality. The award winners are finally determined based on the final rankings.

(3) Evaluation policy
Overall quality is determined based on the following style-based categories:
- Ginjo-shu: well-balanced flavor, characteristic aroma, and delicate taste
- Junmai-shu: refined flavor with umami (savoriness) and round texture

(4) Jury
Jurors were selected from a pool of experts, including:
- Academics in the field of sake brewing
- Staff members from the National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB)
- Staff members from prefectural brewing-related organizations
- Sake experts/manufacturers recommended by the prefectural sake and shochu makers' associations of the Tohoku region
- Technical officers from the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau

Abbreviations: GP, Ginjo-shu preliminary ex.; JP, Junmai-shu preliminary ex.; GF, Ginjo-shu final ex.; JF, Junmai-shu final ex.

4. Awards

Entrants earning high scores in the final examination are awarded with an Honor Prize. These prizes are limited in number, and only those placing in the top one-third of all entrants in each category are eligible. Among entrants receiving Honor Prizes, the “Grand Prize" is awarded to those placing first in each category, and “Special Honor Prizes" are awarded to those placing both second and third. Certificates are then granted to each of the prize winners by the Commissioner of the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau.

5. Statistics

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of breweries

6. List of Prize Winners

(1) Ginjo-shu Category

(2) Junmai-shu Category