Banshu Ikkon Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki 30 from sake brewery Sanyohaishuzo in Hyogo, Japan, won the top prize in the sake junmai daiginjo category at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards.
According to Sanyohaishuzo on the 23rd, this product is a premium sake made with Yamada Nishiki, the rice that represents Japan for sake. It enhanced quality by using ingredients produced in Yokawa-cho, Miki City, in Hyogo's Special A district, which is regarded as the highest grade among Yamada Nishiki.
By lowering the polishing ratio to 30% to use only the core of the rice, it minimizes off-flavors and delivers a clean, refined taste.
For brewing, it uses soft water from the Hino Mountain system in Hyogo and applies Association yeast No. 901 to balance acidity and sweetness. Rather than showiness, it emphasizes a restrained ginjo aroma and is finished in a style that considers harmony with food.
On the nose, there is a refreshing note reminiscent of melon, and on the palate, sweetness evoking lychee and dragon fruit blends with acidity akin to white wine. A soft, transparent texture follows, leaving a clean finish.
Founded in 1837, Sanyohaishuzo is a traditional brewery that has crafted sake using locally produced rice and water. Although its wooden brewery was lost to a fire in 2018, it rebuilt with the introduction of the latest equipment. It maintains quality through a gravity-fed brewing system that utilizes the slope of the terrain.