~Tottori’s Highball Wins at World’s Top Competition~
Matsui Shuzo Partnership Company (Location: Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture)’s “Daisen Highball” series has won awards in the Pre-Mixed Drinks category of “ISC2025 (International Spirits Challenge 2025),” the world’s top spirits competition celebrating its 30th anniversary, as follows:
ISC is known as “the world’s most prestigious, respected, and influential spirits competition,” and is a globally authoritative liquor competition that receives thousands of entries from over 70 countries annually.
It is evaluated through rigorous blind tasting by experienced judges and scored on all elements: aroma, appearance, taste, and finish.
■Award Results
☆Gold Medal
・Daisen Highball
☆Silver Medal
・Daisen Mizunara Highball
・Daisen Sakura Highball
■About the Award-Winning Products
Daisen Highball【Gold Medal Winner】
Volume: 350ml
Alcohol content: 7%
Suggested retail price: 198 yen (tax included)
“Daisen Highball” uses whisky finished in red wine barrels.
It features a deep, rich aroma reminiscent of grapes and a fruity, mellow taste.
Daisen Mizunara Highball【Silver Medal Winner】
Volume: 350ml
Alcohol content: 8%
Suggested retail price: 242 yen (tax included)
Uses whisky aged in Japanese mizunara oak barrels.
A highball characterized by mizunara’s oriental aroma and subtle fruity sweetness within its spiciness.
Daisen Sakura Highball【Silver Medal Winner】
Volume: 350ml
Alcohol content: 8%
Suggested retail price: 242 yen (tax included)
Uses whisky aged in sakura (cherry) barrels.
A highball characterized by the sweet aroma of spring cherry blossoms and refreshing, fruity taste.
■Thoughts on the Award
“We put our everything into a single highball.”
This award is recognition of our efforts thus far and encouragement for further challenges.
Particularly, “Daisen Highball” advancing from last year’s silver medal to gold medal is proof that our uncompromising attitude toward quality improvement has borne fruit.
Even after last year’s silver medal win, we never stopped moving forward, deepening flavors and improving production methods, leading to the joyful result of winning awards for all three varieties in the “Daisen Highball” series this time.
■Manufacturer’s Comments
In developing the highball cans, we aimed to achieve a price range that customers could easily pick up.
We struggled greatly with the blending to allow customers to enjoy 100% of the original whisky’s aroma and taste, and adjusting the carbonation level to achieve a refreshing mouthfeel, but we managed to reach commercialization.
Also, with “Daisen Mizunara Highball” and “Daisen Sakura Highball,” we used mizunara and sakura, barrel materials unique to Japan, pursuing delicate and profound flavors that can only be expressed in Japan.
We hope that through these highball cans, customers will become interested in our whisky products, ultimately leading to further revitalization of the entire whisky industry.
■Thoughts Put into Each Glass
Our highballs are drinks we want people to enjoy who value taking time to pause and reflect on themselves in their busy daily lives.
At dusk after finishing work, during conversations with loved ones, or in quiet moments reflecting on the day alone.
With one sip, your shoulders relax, and you feel like gently saying “good work today” to yourself.
We would be happy if you could spend such gentle moments.
■Future Prospects
Encouraged by this award, we will continue working toward further quality improvement.
While preserving tradition and continuing new challenges, we will keep creating Japanese highballs loved by people around the world.
■About ISC
ISC (International Spirits Challenge) celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025 and is “the world’s most prestigious, respected, and influential spirits competition.”
It receives thousands of entries from over 70 countries annually, and through three weeks of rigorous blind tasting by experienced industry experts, entries are judged on all elements: aroma, appearance, taste, and finish.
It is supported by major spirits manufacturers worldwide as the international standard for quality and excellence.
■About Kurayoshi Distillery
Kurayoshi Distillery is located in Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, manufacturing and selling whisky and other distilled spirits.
Under the management philosophy “Making people happy through alcohol production,” we sell the “Matsui Whisky” brand with product names related to the local area such as “Kurayoshi,” “Tottori,” and “San’in” not only domestically in Japan but in over 65 countries worldwide.
Never satisfied with the current situation, we predict distribution and sales 10, 20, and 30 years ahead, continuing to create new value for the world.
■Company Information
Matsui Shuzo Partnership Company Kurayoshi Distillery
〒682-0934 656-1 Kamikogawa, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture
Official website: https://matsuiwhisky.com
