A One-Year-Old Sake Brand Wins Gold at IWC on Its First Try
A sake brand barely a year old has taken Gold at one of the world's most prominent sake competitions. HENGE's "HENGE CLEAR Muroka Nama Genshu" won a Gold Medal in the SAKE category at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2026, with judging held in Hiroshima on May 18 and results announced on May 22.
Behind the brand is Noriya, a 27-year-old former employee of the trading house Marubeni. He left at 25 to launch HENGE, convinced that sake deserved a bigger seat at the global table. The brand made its retail debut in April 2025.
A 14,800 Yen Bottle Brewed With an Ancient Method
HENGE CLEAR is built around "ichidan-jikomi" — a one-step fermentation method that dates back to the Nara period (8th century), rather than the three-step process used by virtually all modern sake breweries. Made with 100% Yamada Nishiki rice from Hyogo, brewed in Niigata and bottled at 13% ABV, it retails for 14,800 yen for a 720ml bottle and sells out monthly via a lottery on the brand's own site.
The IWC judges described it with an unusually long list of notes: "Fresh cherries, blackcurrant, kumquat, rhubarb, pear, banana, and prune aromas. Zingy, funky palate with creamy muscat, gooseberry, lively spritz, and balanced sweetness."
IWC 2026: A Record 1,738 Entries
The IWC's SAKE category, now in its 20th year, drew a record 1,738 entries across 11 styles — from futsushu and honjozo through junmai daiginjo, sparkling, aged and flavored sake. HENGE entered for the first time and walked away with Gold.
The brand sold out its initial release in three hours and has since landed on the lists of Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotels. Worth keeping an eye on where a 27-year-old industry outsider takes this next.
