New-season sake from a wooden-vat yamahai brew wins Platinum for junmai in Milan

Hagiwara Shuzo, a brewery in Sakai, Ibaraki Prefecture, has released the first bottle from a new series brewed in wooden vats, which it began in 2026. That bottle, Hagiwara FOREST Series Rooted Light, has won three awards at the Italian sake competition Milano Sake Challenge 2026. In the junmai (pure rice sake) category it took the top prize, Platinum. In the section that judges how well a sake goes with food, it also won the Best Food Pairing Award in two categories: San Daniele prosciutto and truffle. Ibaraki is a prefecture to the north-east of Tokyo. Hagiwara Shuzo was founded in 1855 and is the only sake brewery in Sakai.

The first sake from a new wooden vat

Brewing in wooden vats is how sake was made before stainless-steel and enamel tanks became widespread. Microorganisms live in the wood, which is said to give the sake a distinctive complexity. The FOREST Series is built around these wooden vats and around traditional methods known as kimoto and yamahai. In both, natural lactic acid bacteria are used to nurture, over a long period, the yeast starter that forms the foundation of fermentation, and the result tends to be a sake with depth of flavour. To launch the series, Hagiwara Shuzo invited a craftsman from the Kioke Shokunin Fukkatsu Project (Wooden Vat Craftsmen Revival Project), a nationwide effort to pass on the skills of making wooden vats. The new vat was assembled at the roadside station in Sakai, and Rooted Light was the first sake brewed in it. The only rice used is Nihonbare from Ibaraki, and it is a junmai, with no brewer’s alcohol added. It has an alcohol content of 15%. The seventh-generation head, Yasuhisa Hagiwara, serves as toji (master brewer). In 2024, Mr Hagiwara obtained the qualification of Hitachi Toji, which is certified by Ibaraki Prefecture.

What the Italian judges praised

The Milano Sake Challenge is judged by Italian specialists, including holders of sake sommelier qualifications. As well as flavour, the bottle design and the pairing with Italian cuisine are assessed. The judges noted a clear, straw colour with a faint green tinge, and aromas of dairy reminiscent of yoghurt alongside a robust grain character. On the palate it has a rounded texture, with strong umami and a gentle sweetness held together by a long, refreshing acidity. The judges described the sake as a delicate and modern interpretation that goes beyond the framework of traditional junmai. With prosciutto, it was recognised for drawing out the umami and sweetness of the ham, and was even compared to the synergy of prosciutto and melon. With truffle, it was judged that the structure of the sake supported the earthy, woodland aroma of the truffle. Nuances of hazelnut and dried fruit were also highly rated.

How to enjoy it in Europe

In Japan the price is 2,970 yen (including tax) for 720 ml. The announcement does not mention whether it is available in Europe. Even so, an award so clearly tied to ingredients found in European kitchens may serve as one pointer when choosing a sake. The brewery recommends drinking it not too cold, from a flat sake cup or a small ochoko cup. Rather than drinking it straight from the fridge as one would a wine, it is thought that letting it warm up a little helps the woody aroma from the wooden vat and the umami of the rice to open up. If you want to pair it with pasta made with prosciutto or truffle, or with mature cheese, look for a junmai sake whose label says “kioke” (wooden vat), “yamahai” or “kimoto”. You may come across a bottle in a similar vein.