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Oriental Brewery wins 5 international awards
By Ko
Dong-hwan, The Korea Times - Oriental Brewery (OB), Korea’s leading brewer,
became the only Korean beer manufacturer recognized at the 2026 International
Taste Awards, with five of its beer brands receiving the Superior Taste Award
from the Belgium-based International Taste Institute (ITI), the company said
Thursday.
Founded
in Brussels in 2005, the ITI is one of the world's most recognized food and
beverage quality assessment organizations. Each year, an international jury
composed of Michelin-starred chefs and professional sommeliers evaluates
products through blind tastings based on five criteria — first impression,
appearance, aroma, taste and texture, and aftertaste.
More
than 250 judges participated in this year's competition. Products receiving an
average score of at least 70 points out of 100 are awarded the Superior Taste
Award. Scores between 70 and 80 earn one star, 80 to 90 receive two stars, and
products scoring above 90 are granted the highest distinction of three stars.
OB
said it was the only Korean beer manufacturer to receive awards at this year’s
competition, following a similar achievement in 2025, highlighting the growing
global recognition of Korean beer quality.
The
company’s award-winning brands were Hanmac, Cass Fresh, Cass Light, Cass All
Zero and Cass Lemon Squeeze.
Hanmac
received the highest three-star rating this year, marking its sixth consecutive
Superior Taste Award and fourth straight year earning the competition’s top
distinction. Last year, Hanmac also became the first alcoholic beverage brand
in Korea to receive the Crystal Taste Award, a special recognition granted to
products that achieve a three-star rating for three consecutive years.
Cass
Fresh and Cass Light, both of which have won the Superior Taste Award for seven
consecutive years, earned two-star ratings. Cass All Zero and Cass Lemon
Squeeze, which were entered into the competition for the first time, received
two-star and one-star ratings, respectively. Cass All Zero also became the
first nonalcoholic malt beverage product in Korea to win the Superior Taste
Award.
“The
outstanding competitiveness of Korea’s representative beer brands, including
Cass and Hanmac, has once again been recognized by one of the world’s most
prestigious food and beverage competitions,” an OB official said. “As a
specialized brewing company, we will continue to repay consumers’ trust through
relentless innovation and exceptional quality, taste and craftsmanship.”
The
latest recognition adds to OB’s growing list of achievements in major quality
competitions. At the 2026 Korea Liquor Awards held in March, Cass Fresh, Cass
Light and Hanmac won grand prizes in the lager category, while Cass All Zero
took the top honor in the nonalcoholic beer category.
