Tokyo: Sake Competition

SAKE COMPETITION 2019 Calendar

Preliminary Judging – 14 May (at Tokyo metropolitan industrial trade center)

Final Judging – 16 May (at Tokyo metropolitan industrial trade center)

Announcement of results and Official Event – 10 June (at Peninsula Tokyo)

SAKE COMPETITION 2019 is all 7 categories

All sake must be commercially available from 1 July 2018 to 31 December 2019 or intended to become available within this period. Regardless of the sales date, name of sake, label and product features have to be fixed before 30 April 2019.

1, Junmai

Sake which qualifies as “Junmai” in Tokutei meisho (Specially designated). “Tokubestu Junmai” , “Yamahai Junmai” and “Kimoto Junmai” also can enter Junmai category.

2, Junmai Ginjo

Sake which qualifies as “Junmai Gingo” in Tokutei meisho (Specially designated). “Yamahai Junmai Ginjo” and “Kimoto Junmai Ginjo” can enter Junmai Ginjo category. Sake which can be determined as ” Junmai Ginjo”, such as “Ginjo Junmai” is also acceptable in this category.

3, Junmai Daiginjo

Sake which qualifies as “Junmai Daiginjo” in Tokutei meisho (Specially designated). “Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo” and “Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo” can enter Junmai Ginjo category. Sake which can be determined as ” Junmai Daiginjo”, such as “Daiginjo Junmai” is also acceptable in this category.

4, Ginjo and Daiginjo (distilled alcohol added)

Sake which qualifies as “Ginjo” and “Daiginjo” in Tokutei meisho (Specially designated). “Yamahai Ginjo/Daiginjo” and “Kimoto Ginjo/Daiginjo” can enter Ginjo/Daiginjo category.

5, Super premium

Sake which enters for super premium category has to be sold at more than 10,000 yen (720ml) and 15,000 yen (1800ml).

6, Sparkling

Not necessary to be qualified as Seishu, as long as Seishu base sparkling with more than 3.0 gas volume. Except, adding fruit juice, artificial flavor, and artificial coloring.

7, Oversea brewed sake

This is a special category for sake which brewed outside of Japan.

SAKE COMPETITION Judges

Our judges are industry professionals, brewery owners and master brewers. In 2018, 10 judges are from prefectural industrial research centers where they research and develop prefectural yeasts and unique brewing technologies. Others are brewers who are well-know for their high ability of Kikizake. Tasting over 600 sake in one day is not easy thing to do. We require our judges to have adequate experience of tasting large number of sake. They are required to judge at least 120 sake in one hour.

Each sake tasted will be scored individually with 1 to 5 points by using mark sheets. The competition is carried out totally in blind. Both bottles and caps are standardized so that judges are not able to recognize by the appearance. In addition, judges are not allow to touch the bottles. Our staffs are locating at each section for pouring sake and making sure to keep the conditions.