Below left is the score sheet for the first round of the Annual Japan Sake Awards (aka National New Sake Appraisal, zenkoku shinshu kanpyokai, 全国新酒鑑評会).
The judges are first asked to rate quality and intensity of aroma, look for ginjo-ka or rich aromas (isoamyl aldehyde/banana, ethyl caproate/apple, ethyl aldehyde, higher alcohols), wood/spice aromas (acetyl aldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, spice/4VG), koji/sweet (e.g. caramel)/burnt aromas, acidic/degraded/sulfurous aromas (hine-ka/degraded aroma, nama-hine-ka/degraded aroma in unpasteurised sake, yeasty or kasu-like smell, sulfur), transferred odours (rubber, mould, earth, paper/dust), and fatty or acidic smells (diacetyl, fatty acids, vinegar), with an open space for other remarks.
Judges then evaluate flavour, rating the sake for quality and intensity, followed by aftertaste, roughness/smoothness of flavour and texture, characteristics of the flavour (sweetness, acidity, umami, bitterness and astringency) and whether any were excessive or unbalanced, and an open space for other remarks. Finally, they give an overall rating. Sake that pass this round are given an award.
This is the score sheet for the second round, where each sake is simply given a score out of 3 based on how well its characteristics are suited to ginjo (which means ginjo and daiginjo in this context), or marked as not suitable with a reason why. 1 is the best score, so sake that get fewest points in this round get a gold award.
(Taken from the Japanese version of the BY Reiwa 5 National New Sake Appraisal Report by the National Research Institute of Brewing and the JSS)
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