Sake sparkles at IWC 2019

The Gold medal winners were then pitted against each other to determine the top Sakes in nine different categories.


The 2019 IWC Sake Trophy winners are:

·       Futsu-shu Trophy – Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate Gin-Pack from Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing

·       Honjozo Trophy – Katafune Tokubetsu Honjozo from Takeda Shuzo

·       Ginjo Trophy – Hatsumago Fuyu no Kanon Ginjoshu from Tohoku Meijo

·       Daiginjo Trophy – Bunraku Daiginjo Fukuroduri Murokagenshu Nakagumi from Kitanishi Sake Brewery

·       Junmai Trophy – Miyanoyuki Yamahaijikomi Tokubetsu Junmaishu from Miyazaki Honten

·       Junmai Ginjo Trophy – Katsuyama Junmai Ginjo Ken from Katsuyama Supreme Sake

·       Junmai Daiginjo Trophy – Hideyoshi Junmai Daiginjo from Suzuki Brewing

·       Sparkling Sake Trophy – Kid Junmai Daiginjo Sparkling from Heiwashuzou

·       Koshu Trophy – Tokubetsuhonjozo Kamaya Koshu from Kamaya

The Gold winners selection includes an impressive mix of new winners and regular Trophy winners.

The first-time IWC Sake Trophy winners are Kiku-Masamune, Kitanishi, Katsuyama, Suzuki and Kamaya, while Takeda Shuzo, Tohoku Meijo, Miyazaki Honten, and Heiwashuzou have won previously.

Tohoku Meijo, which started brewing sake in 1893, is the reigning IWC Sake Brewer of the Year.




IWC Sake Co-Chair Kenichi Ohashi MW commented:

“The breadth of the style of top medal-winning Japanese Sake has surely expanded. This is due to the diversification of flavours on the producer side, the improvement of the tasting ability of the individual judges in response, and the attitude of IWC in educating consumers.”

The competition, which is run in sponsored by the Sake Samurai Association, was started in 2007 and this year it returned to London after the 2018 competition in Yamagata, Japan in 2018.

The IWC Sake competition started in 2007 and has grown exponentially with Sakes entered globally – from regions as diverse as USA and UK.

IWC will name the Champion Sake 2019 (the best of all the Trophy winners), Sake Brewer of the Year, and the Great Value Sake Award winner at the International Wine Challenge Awards Dinner in London on July 9.

Chris Ashton, Events Director at the International Wine Challenge Sake, commented:

“Our rigorous approach and international judging panel make this a truly unique competition that is recognised the world over. With these Trophies under their belts, these brewers can expect global attention.”

For the full list of Medals Sake Winners, click here.
For the full list of Trophy Sake winners, click here.
For the full list of Great Value Sake Awards, click here.