"Sake Crafted by a Wine Master" Lotte Department Store Launches 'IWA 5 Assemblage 5'

Richard Geoffroy, Former Dom Perignon Chef de Cave, Participates in Brewing
Available at 11 Locations Including Main and Jamsil Branches Starting May 12

Lotte Department Store announced on the 23rd that it will be introducing the premium sake "IWA 5 Assemblage 5" edition, which resembles wine, for the first time in Korea.

IWA 5 is the world's first blended sake, breaking away from the traditional single-batch brewing method of sake and instead using a blending technique similar to that of champagne. The number 5 in IWA 5 represents both the five senses and the five types of yeast used in the sake brewing process.

Holding a product at the wine store on the basement level 1 of Lotte Department Store Main Branch. Courtesy of Lotte Department Store.

This sake is well known for having been crafted with the involvement of Richard Geoffroy, who served as the longest-tenured chief winemaker at the globally renowned French champagne house Dom Perignon for 28 years starting in 1990. In the process of creating each new sake, he determines the blending ratio through more than 100 tastings, releasing a new edition every year.

The edition being launched for the first time in Korea is the "IWA 5 Assemblage 5 Edition." "Assemblage" is a French term meaning combination or blend. As an ultra-premium sake, it features complex aromas and structure, highlighted by notes of raspberry, jasmine, and pine. Using Yamadanishiki and Omachi brewing rice grown in Toyama Prefecture?Japan’s most renowned rice-producing region?combined with five types of wine yeast and matured in the bottle for 14 months, it boasts a perfect harmony of flavor and aroma.

This edition was specially planned in consideration of the expanding domestic sake market and the growing demand for differentiated sake. Demand for premium sake has been rising rapidly, with Lotte Department Store’s sake sales increasing by approximately 50% year-on-year last year. In the first quarter of this year, sales also rose by about 30% compared to the same period last year.

Lotte Department Store expects that the launch of this edition will attract not only existing sake enthusiasts but also wine and champagne customers. It will be available at 11 locations nationwide, including the Main Branch, Jamsil Branch, and Busan Main Branch, starting from May 12.

Yang Hyunmo, head of the Wine & Liquor Team, stated, "The first launch of IWA 5 Assemblage 5 will serve as a catalyst for a new transformation in the domestic premium sake market," adding, "Lotte Department Store will continue to play a leading role as a pioneer in the premium alcoholic beverage market."