Matsui Shuzo's Daisen Sherry Cask wins first gold at the ISC
Matsui Shuzo of Tottori Prefecture makes the affordably priced Daisen Sherry Cask, which has won its first gold medal at the UK's International Spirits Challenge 2026.
Tottori Prefecture lies in western Japan, on the Sea of Japan coast. It is home to the Kurayoshi Distillery of Matsui Shuzo Gomei Kaisha, whose blended whisky “Matsui Whisky Daisen Sherry Cask” has won its first gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2026, held in the UK. The whisky took silver the year before, so its rating has risen a notch. The other two whiskies in the same series, “Daisen Wine Cask” and “Daisen Sakura Cask”, also won silver medals.
Gold from blind judging
The ISC is held every year by the British spirits trade magazine Drinks International, and thousands of products from more than 70 countries are entered. Judging is done by blind tasting, with brand and price concealed, so that experts assess only what is in the glass. Alongside the IWSC and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), it is one of the world’s leading spirits competitions. Matsui Shuzo stresses that this result came from being compared on taste alone with whiskies that cost many times more.
Three characters and their prices
The gold-winning Daisen Sherry Cask is a blend of malt and grain whisky using sherry casks. It is said to be characterised by a citrus-like acidity and a sweet aroma reminiscent of chocolate. It comes in a 700ml bottle at 40% ABV, with a recommended retail price in Japan of 2,750 yen including tax. The bottle is shaped like a cask, and its looks have made it a popular choice as a gift. The silver-winning Daisen Wine Cask uses red wine casks and is characterised by a grape-like aroma and a mellow smoothness. The Daisen Sakura Cask uses casks made from Japanese cherry wood, and has a sweet, spring-like aroma and a fruity taste. Both of these are 1,980 yen including tax in Japan. In a Japanese whisky market where attention tends to fall on expensive limited-edition bottles, it is significant that a price range aimed at everyday evening drinking has won international recognition.
How to enjoy it in Europe
Matsui Shuzo sells the Matsui Whisky brand in more than 65 countries around the world. In Europe, it is worth looking in specialist shops and online retailers that stock Japanese whisky, using the cask-shaped bottle as your landmark. Because of import costs, prices locally will be higher than the Japanese retail price. Even so, it is an easier bottle to try than an expensive single malt. Begin by drinking it neat or with a little water, to pick out the citrus and chocolate aromas that come from the sherry cask. Then try it as a highball, topped up with soda water, which makes it easier to pair with food. Another way to enjoy it is to compare it with the Wine Cask and Sakura Cask and see how the difference in casks shows in the aroma.
Sources
PR TIMES (Matsui Shuzo), “Matsui Whisky ‘Daisen Sherry Cask’ wins its long-awaited first gold medal at ISC 2026!”
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
Try Akita sake in the EU — from €6
180 ml tasting bottles and full-size sake, wine, beer and gin, shipped from Amsterdam within the EU.
