What is the Sake World Championship?

Digital Entertainment Asset Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based company that operates a global problem-solving game platform business, and Sake World NFT, a sake NFT marketplace developed and operated by Leaf Publications Inc., have teamed up to distribute quiz content with the goal of promoting sake sales.

The quiz content utilized Web3 technology, and participants who answered correctly were given the chance to win crypto assets and NFTs. The top two participants with the best overall scores during the period will be invited to Singapore.

The "Sake World Championship" is a competition where participants compete on sake knowledge, taste, and blending techniques. A panel of 10 judges gathered at the venue, the Japanese restaurant "At Twenty" in Singapore. The first champion will have the privilege of creating an original sake named after himself.

*This initiative is part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "FY5 Demonstration Project for Building Digital Public Goods Using Web 3.0 and Blockchain" (URL:https://jissui.or.jp/project/project017/This project is being carried out as part of a project adopted under theme 1, "Building a digital market (issuance and distribution market) for physical and intangible assets," at the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (JFSC) 2020.

The potential of blended sake

Assemblage Club 3 is a blended sake developed by Sake World in collaboration with three long-established sake breweries in Kyoto.
"CODENAME: Taro" has been well-received for its unique blended flavor. It won both the Singapore Grand Prize and the Silver Award at the Singapore Sake Challenge 2024. It can be drunk and purchased at restaurants and department stores in Singapore as well as in Japan.

Through the development of the "Assemblage Club," we have gained a deeper understanding of how sake can become more delicious when blended. With the desire to share the joy of making your own sake, we opened "My Sake World Oike Bettei," a facility where you can create your own original sake blend, on January 2025, 1.

The experience begins with tasting sake while learning about the history and culture of sake. You will gain a deeper sense of the characteristics of sake, such as the umami of pure rice sake and the unique aroma of ginjo sake, and customize it to your liking. Measure the volume with a graduated cylinder and mix in a flask. This experience is like a science experiment, and many people have commented that it is "fun!"
This time, we have recreated the blending set used at My Sake World Oike Bettei, from the sake to the tools.

Introducing the Finalists of the "Sake World Championship"

I spoke to this person

Takahiro Iiyama

Profile

He lives in Tokyo and works for an IT company. He started drinking sake at around the age of 25 and learned about the wide range of sake varieties. His hobby is to enjoy sake by going to events and visiting sake breweries. His favorite sake has a moderate aroma and is focused on the balance of flavor and umami.

I spoke to this person

WILSON CBYEUNG

Profile

I live in London and am a sake taster. Since 2018 I have run sake shops in London and Hong Kong and am based in London. My favorite sake is umami flavored. I drink sake almost every day for work.

We asked him about his enthusiasm ahead of the blending battle.

-Have you ever tried blending sake?

Iiyama: "I sometimes do it for fun with my sake friends. It turns out pretty tasty."
Wilson: "I've blended coffee for myself before, but this is the first time I've blended coffee for a customer. It's really interesting to have to deal with the customer's preferences, not my own."

-How enthusiastic are you about the Championship?

Iiyama: "I got first place in the premium quiz, so I'll do my best to get results that are worth it!"
"I'm so happy and excited," said Wilson, full of enthusiasm.

Time for the real thing! Blending showdown

At the experience facility, participants make their own delicious blend of sake, but this time, they will be given a theme and asked to make a blend that fits that theme. A panel of 10 judges will decide which sake best suits the theme.

●Iiyama's theme: Zen (ZEN) ~ Sake you'd like to enjoy at home ~
●Wilson's theme: Celebration - Sake you'll want to drink at a party with family and friends

Participants sampled the 11 types of sake used in My Sake World, and then used graduated cylinders and beakers to blend the sake. Following each theme, participants chose one type of sake as the primary sake and two types as secondary sakes to pair with the sake. The experience facility recommends blending three types of sake, but this time, as expected of a serious competition, it was impressive to see the participants adjust the blend to within one millimeter.

The atmosphere at the My Sake World store was friendly, but as it was a blending competition, there was a sense of tension. Even after making two prototypes and deciding on the winning sake, the participants were still racking their brains.

-What were your impressions after trying blended sake?

Iiyama looks satisfied and says, "I don't know if it will suit customers' tastes, but I created a blended liquor with the theme in mind. It was my first time making a 40ml base, so it was surprisingly difficult as the amount was small. It was a very new experience for me."

Wilson: "It was really fun! It was fun making the sake, and it was also fun to drink the finished product. Through today's experience, I was able to learn about new aspects of sake. Also, all 11 types of sake were my first time trying them. I'd like to try some new sake in the future."

At My Sake World, after your sake blending experience you will be given a "blender certificate."
The recipes will be posted online and will beAdditional purchaseThis is the system that makes it possible.

Wilson: "In this blend, I focused on the aroma. In particular, when creating a new drink, it was important to find the right balance. Thank you for letting me try this out! I'm very happy!"

Iiyama-san: "I won the quiz and came to Singapore from Japan. I want to be the best in the world at blending as well. I think it's turned out really amazing."

At Twenty × Sake World Special Pairing Dinner

Ten judges who live in Singapore gathered at the venue, "At Twenty."
First up will be a special Sake World pairing dinner.
The pairing for At Twenty's dishes is the sake used in the blend.

・Squid with yuzu pepper and "Ishizuchi Junmai Daiginjo Sakurahime" (Ishizuchi Sake Brewery/Ehime Prefecture)
Add floral and apple-like scents to the yuzu and citrus scents

・Grilled black pork with plum sauce x "Niida Shizenshu Junmai Genshu" (Niida Honke / Fukushima Prefecture)
The sourness of plum paste and the umami of black pork are combined with the creamy taste of kimoto and lactic acid fermentation.
It helps transform sourness into a mellow flavor.

・Grilled sawara sashimi x "Tatomo Special Junmai" (Takanoi Sake Brewery/Niigata Prefecture)
It is paired with a light, dry wine so as not to overpower the delicate and flavorful sawara.

・Cod milt tempura x "Junmai Ginjo Ikegumo Shuku" (Ikeda Shuzo/Kyoto Prefecture)
It is paired with a clean acidity to replace sudachi citrus, bringing out the creaminess of the milt.

・Kashiwa no Hikizuri x "Shin Tsuchida" (Tsuchida Sake Brewery/Gunma Prefecture)
Adds an extra layer of umami to the rich sukiyaki flavor. The grain-like, rich flavor and mellow umami are combined with chicken.

・Seafood mini bowl x "Tama Junmai Ginjo" (Tamanohikari Sake Brewery/Kyoto Prefecture)
The sweet and sour taste of TAMA adds depth to seafood. It is also excellent when combined with soy sauce stock.

・Nagoya Kishimen noodles x "Tomo Junmaishu Premier Amour" (Kitagawa Honke / Kyoto Prefecture)
Combining the sourness of Premier with citric acid creates a completely different flavor.

By using sakes that are used in blends, ranging from gorgeous ginjo sakes to pure rice sakes and heavy-bodied sakes, the judges were able to have a valuable opportunity to feel the difference from the blends.

The first champion has finally been decided!

Each blender gave a presentation prior to the judging.
Iiyama-san: "The theme of the blend is Zen. Since it's a sake that you can enjoy at home, we focused on keeping the aroma subdued, but on balancing the sweetness and umami flavors that are typical of sake."

Wilson: "The theme of my sake is celebration. I chose a sake with a strong aroma. Even before you drink it, you can already feel the atmosphere of celebration and festivals. It incorporates very sweet and complex elements, and ultimately expresses a rich flavor."

The judges commented, "Iiyama's sake has body and, in a good way, a very heavy element to it.
"It conveys the Zen concept of 'inner refinement and balance achieved through meditation.'" he commented. Other judges responded one after the other, saying, "I really like it."

Wilson's blended sake had a "celebration" theme, so the venue was excited with cheers of "We hope you all have a wonderful evening! Cheers!"

As an atmosphere of tension hung over the venue, a judge commented, "It's quite difficult to judge, but with a good balance of flavor and alcohol, and a little passion, I think you can get through it."
After a rigorous selection process, Takahiro Iiyama was selected as the first champion.

Revealing the winner's recipe! New possibilities for sake

Regarding the blend, Iiyama said, "I used 20ml of Tsuki no Katsura (Iwai) as the base. This is set so that you won't get tired of drinking it. To replenish the flavor, I added 15ml of Ryusei Kuro Label Junmai Daiginjo, and then as an accent, I added 3ml of Shin Tsuchida and 2ml of Niidashi Zenshu."

When asked why he added the rich Shin Tsuchida and Niidashi Zenshu, Iiyama said, "These two are quite strong, so I added just a little bit and adjusted it so as not to upset the balance.The scent itself is not that strong, so I added it to bring the whole thing together.I created a nice, enveloping balance to create an overall Zen-like, calm atmosphere."

Judge: "The judges seemed to prefer drinks that weren't too bitter. However, it was important that the drink created an emotional response on-site. The moment we drank the ZEN, the hall fell silent. I think it turned out really well."

Iiyama: "I had originally planned to add a few more to Shin Tsuchida and Niidashi Zenshu, but since there were many female judges, I decided to go with this ratio. I think I was able to create the My Sake I had in mind."

Judge: "I've never tried blended sake before, but I was able to experience a new flavor. Not only was it delicious, but the flavor that evoked the theme was exceptional. It made me want to make some for myself and my family."

Regarding the blend, Wilson added, "I heard that the basic blend is three types, but I put in six types. I even added 3ml of Idashi Zenshu. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of change it would make. The bitterness is good. It was like looking into my own life."

The winner's blended sake (My Sake) will be available for sale at Sake World NFT around May.
Assemblage Club convinced me of the potential of blending, and My Sake World proved that individual blending is possible. I am happy to be able to spread the new possibilities of sake from Kyoto to the world, and here in Singapore.

Text: Sake World Editorial Department

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Original blend Japanese sake experience facility from Kyoto [My Sake World Oike Bettei]

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