Five "Off Trail-Azeotrope" products win awards at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2024
Far Yeast Brewing is pleased to announce that five products from its Off Trail – Azeotrope brand, which challenges the creation of innovative distilled spirits , have won awards in the Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2024 (TWSC2024), announced on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
About the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC)
A competition for distilled alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, spirits, and shochu that began in 2019.
Planned and run by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, this is one of the largest competitions in Asia and the only one of its kind in Japan, with over 300 experts on Western liquor and shochu from around the country judging the winners through blind tastings.
This is the fourth time the competition has been held, and entries began to be accepted in the fall of 2021. A total of 241 judges conducted the judging remotely from February to May 2022.
Click here for the results of the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2024 (TWSC2024)
[About the winning products]
Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] Silver Award:
Off Trail - Azeotrope Beer Distilled Gin Sansho Punch New Pot
This beer is centered around grape sansho pepper, and is accented with a variety of botanicals including juniper berry, coriander, yuzu, and elderflower. While retaining the malt aroma of the original beer, it has a punchy flavor with a refreshing aroma and a stimulating kick reminiscent of biting into fresh sansho pepper. It's dry, yet still has a body and sweetness derived from the malt, resulting in a complex yet refreshing finish.
Product information here
Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] Silver Award:
Off Trail - Azeotrope Beer Distilled Beer Distilled Gin Sansho Punch Aged With Oak 
This ethical Beer Distilled Gin is made by infusing oak chips into the Grand Gold Award-winning "Beer Distilled Gin Sansho Punch New Pot." This refreshing craft gin is made primarily with Wakayama Prefecture-grown grape sansho pepper, and a variety of botanicals, including juniper berries, coriander, yuzu, and elderflower. The American oak chips are then infused into the gin, creating a layered and complex flavor that combines the vibrant sansho pepper flavor with woody, vanilla, and maple notes for a mellow, richly layered taste.
Product information here
Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] Silver Award:
Off Trail - Azeotrope Dew of Bergamot 
Beer that was going to waste, such as products approaching their expiration date, is upcycled into gin through two distillations in a pot still. Bergamot is used as the main botanical. The soft sweetness of the malt from the raw spirit and the citrus bitterness of bergamot complement each other to create a gorgeous and refreshing craft gin.
Product information here
Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] Bronze Award:
Off Trail - Azeotrope Malt Gin Distiller's Choice“beta” 
This gin is a carefully selected blend of two barrel-aged malt gins. One is twice distilled in a pot still at the Braeckman distillery, which has over 100 years of history in Belgium, and aged for 25 months in red wine barrels. The other is twice distilled in a pot still at a Japanese distillery, and aged for 18 months in bourbon barrels. The botanicals used are juniper berries, yuzu, and sansho pepper, creating a refreshing and accentuated aroma. The top note is dominated by the powerful aroma of red wine barrel aging. Blending with punchy bourbon barrel malt results in a complex and lingering finish.
Product information here
Western Spirits Category [Japanese Gin] Bronze Award:
Off Trail - Azeotrope Malt Gin Distiller's Choice“gamma” 
This product is a blend of two types of gin aged for 32 months in whiskey barrels, with the theme of the coexistence of barrel-derived aromas and botanicals. One has wild, fresh botanicals and the aroma of the barrel, while the other has been aged to develop a sweetness reminiscent of vanilla and honey. The blend ratio was determined with the overall balance in mind, resulting in a drink that retains the botanical impression while remaining easy to drink. The botanicals include juniper berries, as well as yuzu and sansho pepper, which add a refreshing and spicy flavor.
Product information here
In addition, two products from Copperworks Distilling Company, an American microdistillery that we handle and sell , also won gold medals in the Western spirits category [American Whiskey/Single Malt].
Western Spirits Category [ American Whiskey/Single Malt ] Gold Award:
Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 044 
Western Spirits Category [ American Whiskey/Single Malt ] Gold Award:
Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Release 045 
For more information about Copperworks Distilling Company, click here
We will continue to devote our efforts to developing unique products and delivering them to as many people as possible.
[Off Trail – What is Azeotrope?]
Launched in October 2021, this craft spirits brand crosses the boundaries between beer and distilled spirits. As a spin-off of "Off Trail," a cutting-edge beer brewing project that utilizes microbial barrel aging techniques, the brand is exploring innovative spirits and liqueurs. Focusing on genever-style spirits, which are malt-derived distilled spirits aged in barrels, the brand aims to bring a breath of fresh air to the distilled spirits world by leveraging the fermentation and barrel aging know-how cultivated through beer brewing. "Azeotrope" refers to the phenomenon of two liquids with different boiling points boiling together while maintaining their composition when mixed in a certain ratio, creating an azeotropic mixture. The name evokes the symbiosis of beer and spirits, our core businesses.