Dassai is a well-established sake brewery in Yamaguchi, Japan. Dassai Blue is an enlargement of the model into the U.S. the place earlier this yr they opened a big, formidable new brewery in Hyde Park, New York. Though constructed upon the expertise of Dassai, the brand new brewery is creating its personal line of sake, and at this time we might be making an attempt two of them, Sort 50 and Sort 23. Each are Junmai Daigingo, sometimes the costliest grade of sake, which implies they’re brewed utilizing rice that has been very nicely polished and embrace no components or further alcohol. The quantity on every of the sakes refers to how polished the rice is that’s used to make it. The rice for Sort 50 has been polished all the way down to 50% of its authentic measurement (50% is the minimal requirement for a sake to be Daigingo). Sort 23 makes use of rice polished all the way down to 23% of its authentic measurement and consequently is of course dearer. Each are presently made with rice imported from Japan, however there are plans to start utilizing American rice within the close to future. All different elements of manufacturing are constructed upon meticulous Japanese practices however are carried out on the new brewery. Let’s open them up and see how they examine to sake imported from Japan.
Dassai Blue Sort 50 Junmai Daigingo Sake – The nostril opens with a little bit of licorice earlier than bursting with daring, ripe, nearly musty cantaloupe, adopted by onerous pineapple sweet. The palate follows swimsuit with extra cantaloupe, candy pineapple, and, on the end, a really faint umami observe with only a trace of brine. The sake begins a bit candy however grows much less in order you’re employed via the glass. I attempted this sake chilly after which scorching, and it labored nicely each methods. The assertiveness of the nostril and palate goes past what’s typical for sake and appears designed to attraction to American drinkers, however it’s carried out fairly nicely, and I believe this might be a wonderful introduction to sake for inexperienced persons: reasonably priced, approachable, and scrumptious. A- / $25
Dassai Blue Sort 23 Junmai Daigingo Sake – This sake is clearly associated to the Sort 50, however comes throughout is softer. The nostril reveals attractive honeydew, Asian pear, and cucumber notes, together with a light-weight whiff of licorice. The palate introduces flippantly salted honeydew, with cucumber arriving midpalate and a wisp of umami showing on the end. It is a complicated, well-integrated sake that’s much less assertive than Sort 50, however nonetheless reveals itself as fairly daring. A / $72
Dassai Blue Sort 23 Junmai Daigingo Sake
$72
