Dassai Junmai Daiginjo 45 (720 ml)

When Hiroshi Sakurai launched the Dassai brand in 1990, he made a commitment that remains almost without precedent in Japanese brewing: every single expression in the range would be Junmai Daiginjo — no lower grades, no seasonal blending, no compromise. The 45 is the entry point into that singular philosophy, and it is built on the same foundation as the 23 and Beyond above it.

The brewery sits deep in a mountain valley in Shuto-cho, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the regional water is classified Seiryu — exceptionally soft, low-mineral clear-stream water, purified further on-site. Soft water produces a lighter, more delicate fermentation character, amplifying the fruit-forward aromatics that define the house style across the range.

Rice is 100% Yamada Nishiki, polished to a 45% seimaibuai (55% of the grain milled away), washed in 10 kg batches in running water, soaked approximately 15 minutes, and fermented in small individual tanks with hand-applied koji. Crucially, Dassai pioneered the commercial use of a centrifuge for pressing — separating sake from mash without pressure — preserving aromatic integrity that conventional fune or yabuta pressing cannot match. Bottling follows the patented Hayata method: filled cold below 5°C, hot-water-shower pasteurized, then immediately rapid-cooled.

Unlike virtually every traditional brewery, Dassai employs permanent year-round staff running parallel fermentation teams who vary water absorption rates and temperatures batch-to-batch — artisan craft governed by data, not seasonal toji tradition.

Ripe white pear, lychee, and fresh melon dominate the aromatic profile, carried on a silky, low-mineral texture that the Iwakuni soft water directly enables. Intended for near-term consumption to preserve freshness.