Dassai Sparkling 45 (360 ml)

When Hiroshi Sakurai launched the Dassai brand in 1990, he made a commitment almost without precedent in Japanese brewing: every single expression in the range would be Junmai Daiginjo — the highest premium grade, no added alcohol, rice polished to at least 45% of its original grain size. The sparkling 45 extends that commitment into effervescence. Brewed in the mountain valley of Shuto-cho, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the brewery draws on Iwakuni's regionally celebrated soft water — classified locally as Seiryu (clear-stream water) — purified further on-site. That low-mineral softness allows the delicate aromatic compounds generated during fermentation to remain unmasked, amplifying the fruit-forward character Yamada Nishiki rice produces at this polish level.

The 45% seimaibuai means 55% of each Yamada Nishiki grain is milled away before brewing begins. Rice is washed in 10 kg batches under running water and soaked approximately 15 minutes; koji is applied entirely by hand — a deliberate rejection of automation at the most aroma-critical stage. Fermentation runs in small individual tanks with temperature carefully controlled throughout the moromi mash, managed by permanent year-round staff rather than a seasonal toji. Pressing uses Dassai's pioneering centrifuge — the first deployed commercially in Japanese sake — separating liquid from mash without pressure to preserve the most volatile aromatic esters intact. Pasteurization follows the patented Hayata method: bottled cold (<5°C), hot-water-shower pasteurized, then immediately rapid-cooled.

What makes this expression categorically unusual is the in-bottle carbonation applied to a full Junmai Daiginjo — a format almost no brewery attempts at this polish level. Drink young to preserve effervescence and primary fruit character.