Dassai 45

Dassai 45

Dassai 45 is rated as a Junmai Daiginjio with 55% rice polishing ratio, one of the best valued Junmai Daiginjio out there from a reputable distillery. I’ll jump straight to the evaluation of the sake before I make my recommendation. Bouquet is heavy with fragrant rice, definitely the heaviest amongst Dassai 23, 39 and 45, not surprisingly since it still used 45% of the rice kernel to produce the sake versus much lesser for Dassai 23 or 39. Palate is surprisingly friendly and relatively smooth, very easy drinking. Although it may not have the finesse of Dassai 23 nor 39, it wins by the pleasantness. Normally I’m quite immune to alcohol, but last night’s Dassai 45 gave me a slight discomfort on the head with the high alcoholic content (I believe it’s 16%). Back to my recommendation, I believe Dassai 23 gives the best pleasure with it’s finesse, and Dassai 45 gives the most bang for the buck. I’d recommend Dassai 45 over a casual Japanese dinner while leaving Dassai 23 for a better quality dinner.