IWC 2016 Sake judging and award announcement in Hyogo

May 2016

The 2016 International Wine Challenge sake competition celebrates its 10-year collaboration between the Sake Samurai Association and the IWC. This robust and fruitful relationship has supported the global expansion of sake, by both boosting international awareness and exports, as well as increasing the popularity of sake within Japan itself.

The memorable competition was generously hosted this year by Hyogo Prefecture, the home of Yamada Nishiki rice which boasts the largest Sake production in Japan. The number of IWC sake entries this year came to a record-breaking 1282, which was recorded as the largest sake competition in the world. A prestigious panel of 57 international sake judges from 14 countries conducted an intensive blind tasting over a 3 day period.

On the 20th of May, the announcement took place at an inspiring awards ceremony at the Ikuta Shrine in Kobe City. Representatives from Hyogo Prefecture, Sake Samurai, IWC past and present winners as well as the Governor of Hyogo, the Honorable Toshio Ido, Mayor Kizo Hisamoto of Kobe and Mr Andrew Reed, MD of IWC, celebrated the success of the competition and thanked Hyogo prefecture for its superb hospitality.

The International Wine Challenge awarded 59 gold medals for sake from 50 breweries across Japan during the course of the competition. A further 196 were awarded silver medals, and 245 entries picked up bronze. IWC Sake 2016 category trophy winners are as follows:

  • Daiginjo Trophy – Mutsu-HassenDaiginjo by Hachinohe Shuzo (Aomori)
  • Futsu-shu Trophy –HouraiTensaitouji no Nyukonshu by Watanabe Shuzouten (Gifu)
  • Ginjuo Trophy – Dewazakura Oka Ginjo by Dewazakura Sake Brewery (Yamagata)
  • Honjozo Trophy – HonjozoNanbubijin by NanbuBijin (Iwate)
  • JunmaiDaiginjo Trophy –AmanotoJunmaiDaiginjo 35 by Asamai Shuzo (Akita)
  • JunmaiGinjo Trophy – GokeijiJunmaiGinjo by Aoki Shuzo (Ibaraki)
  • Junmai Trophy –DewazakuraDewanosato by Dewazakura Sake Brewery (Yamagata)
  • Koshu Trophy –KoshuEikyu no kagayaki by Miyashita Sake Brewery (Okayama)
  • Sparkling Trophy – Sparkling Sake ”John” by Tosa Brewing Company Limited (Kochi)