Dassai is a brand of sake produced by The Asahi Brewery based in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The Asahi Brewery in Yamaguchi is not to be confused with the beer brewery, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo. Asahi Brewery is known for making ultra-premium Junmai Daiginjo and is relatively young Sagakura or Sake Brewery, having started only in 1948. Under the hands of President Hiroshi Sakurai, he reinvented the brewery into an ultra-premium sake brand from producing Futsushu or table sake under the brand name Asahifuji. The name Dassai translates to Otter Festival and is part of the local Yamaguchi legend.

After becoming Toji or Head Brewer, Sakurai turned his focus into the rice polishing ratio which determines the grade of the sake and decided upon 45, 39 and 23. The number 45 represents 45% of the rice grain’s original size and number 23 represents 23% of the rice grain’s original size after the rice polishing process (the remaining percentage of rice). Sakurai uses Yamada Nishiki, a short-grain Japanese rice famous for its use in high-quality premium sake and polishing the rice to 23% takes time and skills. The finished sake is cleaner, lighter and more fragrant the more the rice grains are polished. (For Reference: Futsushu or Table Sake is more than 70%).

The term Junmai used in front of premium sake grade means that the sake is brewed exclusively with rice, water and koji with no alcohol added. The term Daiginjo refers to premium sake grade with minimum 50% or more of the rice grain polished away. Junmai Daiginjo refers to the sake being made without added alcohol and with less than 50% of the rice grain remaining after polishing.

Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo is a premium grade sake made with no added alcohol and the rice grains used has been polished to an extraordinary 23% of it’s original size. Bottled at 16% ABV. Recommended to drink cold.


Dassai 是日本山口縣朝日啤酒廠生產的清酒品牌。山口的朝日啤酒廠不要與總部位於東京墨田區的啤酒廠朝日集團控股有限公司混淆。朝日啤酒廠(Asahi Brewery) 以生產超優質純米大吟釀而聞名，是相對年輕的佐倉(Sagakura) 或清酒啤酒廠，始建於1948 年。在社長櫻井浩(Hiroshi Sakurai) 的領導下，他將啤酒廠從生產Futsushu 或桌上型清酒重塑為超優質清酒品牌清酒的品牌名稱為「旭富士」。 Dassai 這個名字翻譯過來就是水獺節，是當地山口傳說的一部分。

成為釀酒師後，櫻井將注意力轉向決定清酒等級的大米拋光率，並確定了45、39和23。數字45代表米粒原始大小的45%，數字23代表米粒原始大小的23%拋光後米粒的原始尺寸（米的剩餘百分比）。櫻井使用山田錦（Yamada Nishiki），這是一種短粒日本米，因其用於高品質優質清酒而聞名，將大米拋光至 23% 需要時間和技巧。米粒越拋光，成品酒越乾淨、越淡、越香。 （參考：Futsushu 或餐酒超過 70%）。

優質清酒等級前面使用的術語「純米」意味著清酒僅用米、水和曲釀造，不添加酒精。大吟釀一詞指的是至少 50% 或更多米粒被磨掉的優質清酒。純米大吟釀是指不添加酒精、拋光後米粒殘留量低於50%的清酒。

Dassai 23 純米大吟釀是一款不添加酒精的高級清酒，所使用的米粒已被拋光至原始尺寸的 23%。瓶裝酒精度為 16%。建議冷飲。