Dassai

Dassai is a prestigious sake brand produced by Asahi Shuzo brewery in Yamaguchi prefecture. The brewery was founded in 1948 and specializes in making high-quality ginjo sake, which is brewed from specially polished rice and pure spring water. Dassai means “otter festival” and refers to an old tradition in the region, where the otters would spread their caught fish on the riverbank, as if they were having a feast. The brewery wants to convey a similar feeling of joy and abundance with their sake. Dassai is known for its elegant, fruity and refined taste, which is appreciated by both connoisseurs and beginners. Dassai offers different varieties of sake, such as Dassai 23, Dassai 39 and Dassai 45, which differ in their polishing ratio. The lower the polishing ratio, the higher the quality and price of the sake. Dassai is also the first sake brewery to use a centrifuge to separate the sake from the solids, instead of pressing it. This results in a clearer and more aromatic sake. Dassai is not only popular in Japan, but also internationally and was even served by former US President Barack Obama and former French President François Hollande at their state banquets.