SAKE HUNDRED: Three Distinct Expressions Named Category Champions at the Oriental Sake Awards 2026

Three SAKE HUNDRED labels have been named category champions at the Oriental Sake Awards 2026, a sake competition held in Hong Kong. Spanning three distinct categories across ginjo, namazake, and aged sake, the awards illuminate how a single brand explores the possibilities of sake through markedly different paths.

The three champions were SAKE HUNDRED BYAKKO, SAKE HUNDRED BYAKKO Shiboritate Namazake, and SAKE HUNDRED RAIHI. Judging took place in Hong Kong from August 18 to 20, 2026. Clear Inc., the company behind the brand, announced the results on September 9.

Three Category Champions Recognized in Hong Kong

BYAKKO was named category champion in the “Light & Aromatic” division of the Ginjo category, BYAKKO Shiboritate Namazake took the top honor in the Namazake category, and RAIHI won the “Elegant Type” division of the Aged Sake category.

At the Oriental Sake Awards, Gold-winning entries in each category undergo an additional round of judging to determine the category champion. This year, the three SAKE HUNDRED labels each emerged as champions in three distinct disciplines: ginjo, namazake, and aged sake.

The “Light & Aromatic” division of the Ginjo category focuses on sake distinguished by its lightness and aroma. Aged sake, meanwhile, is divided into “Elegant Type” and “Rich Type.” Rather than treating aged sake as a single uniform style, the competition evaluates its differing characteristics separately, a structure that reflects the breadth of sake itself.

BYAKKO and Namazake: Crafting Distinction After Pressing

BYAKKO is brewed by Tatenokawa Shuzo in Yamagata Prefecture. The current expression is crafted with Yuki Megami, a sake rice variety grown in Yamagata, polished down to 18 percent of its original weight.

Yet sake brewing cannot be defined by a polishing ratio alone. Brewers navigate a complex series of choices, guiding everything from rice selection and fermentation control to post-pressing refinement, unifying these processes into a singular expression.

The current BYAKKO undergoes one round of hiire, or heat treatment. BYAKKO Shiboritate Namazake, also produced by Tatenokawa Shuzo, was judged separately in the Namazake category. Namazake refers to sake that undergoes no heat treatment after pressing.

Despite sharing the BYAKKO name, the two diverge in their post-brewing journey. Whether or not a sake undergoes heat treatment provides a tangible clue to understanding the character of the finished product. Their respective victories in the Ginjo and Namazake categories underscore the value of considering each expression on its own terms.

SAKE HUNDRED BYAKKO BESPOKE, meanwhile, received a Gold award in the same Ginjo category as BYAKKO. Even expressions with closely related origins maintain distinct identities and distinct award results.

RAIHI: Designing the Conditions for Maturation

RAIHI, the champion of the Aged Sake category’s “Elegant Type” division, is produced by Nagai Sake Inc. in Kawaba, Gunma Prefecture. Founded in 1886, the brewery has introduced forward-thinking concepts such as sparkling sake and vintage expressions into its approach to sake making.

RAIHI’s brewing process includes a step in which finished sake replaces a portion of the brewing water. After fermentation, the sake is aged for an extended period at minus 5°C (23°F). This maturation includes three years spent in French oak barrels.

Two elements are particularly pivotal: the duration of aging and the precise environment in which that time unfolds. Brewers determine the temperature, select the vessel, and oversee the sake throughout its evolution. Their work does not end when the sake is pressed; it continues through years of quiet maturation.

Within the same brand, there is both an unpasteurized namazake and an aged sake matured for years at low temperatures, each named champion in its respective category. Together, they illustrate how thoughtfully time can be harnessed in sake making.

A Vision Realized in Partnership With Regional Breweries

SAKE HUNDRED was founded in 2018 by Ryuji Ikoma. The brand collaborates with breweries across Japan, selecting a dedicated brewing partner for each individual product. The three award-winning expressions reflect the dedicated craftsmanship of two such partners: Tatenokawa Shuzo in Yamagata and Nagai Sake Inc. in Gunma.

Ikoma chose the word “SAKE” for the brand name to encourage the global term for Japanese sake to resonate worldwide as the brand grows. The recognition of several distinctly different styles of sake in Hong Kong offers a vivid glimpse of that vision in practice.

When introducing sake internationally, explaining who made the sake and how it was produced adds context to the award. BYAKKO undergoes a single heat treatment; BYAKKO Shiboritate Namazake receives none; and RAIHI is matured over years at low temperatures. Understanding these nuanced choices brings the craftsmanship behind the three awards into sharper focus: the work of regional breweries that transform rice into sake, shaping each expression toward its intended character.

This article presents factual information about the Oriental Sake Awards 2026 results and the brewing and maturation practices of Tatenokawa Brewery, Nagai Sake, and the SAKE HUNDRED brand. It does not aim to promote or encourage alcohol consumption. / บทความนี้นำเสนอข้อมูลข้อเท็จจริงเกี่ยวกับผลการประกวด Oriental Sake Awards 2026 และกระบวนการผลิตและการบ่มของ Tatenokawa Brewery, Nagai Sake และแบรนด์ SAKE HUNDRED มิได้มีเจตนาเพื่อส่งเสริมหรือโฆษณาเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้มีอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป โปรดดื่มอย่างรับผิดชอบ