Last week, on May 30, the Zenkoku Shinshu Kanpyo Kai, or National New Sake Tasting Competition, was held in Hiroshima. This year 1,133 sake that made it through the nine regional competitions were tasted blindly by a panel of government-employed, highly trained judges. Out of these, 382 were given a gold medal.
The significance of this contest is dubious at best. One reason is that the sake submitted by the participating breweries is a far cry from the sake they sell to us; it is specially brewed in small batches and is extreme in its manifestations of flavor and fragrance. It is brewed to exude extremely specific attributes -- in short, what the judges this year are looking for.
Yet the fact that this sake is created with such deliberateness means that it is indeed indicative of a brewer's skill, especially when a brewer wins several years in a row. This, considered in tandem with the standard products of a brewery, tells a lot about overall quality.