The Flagship of Japan's Most Famous Daiginjo Dassai 23 is the bottle that made Asahi Shuzo world-famous. The number is the polishing ratio: each grain of Yamada Nishiki rice is milled until just 23% remains, one of the most extreme polishings of any sake made at scale. What is left ferments into something extraordinarily clean and refined, delicate, fragrant and fruity, with notes of melon, pear and white flowers, a silky texture and a long, elegant finish. This is special-occasion sake, and a benchmark by which others are judged. Why Chefs Choose This Polished to 23%: among the most refined sake produced anywhere Pure Yamada Nishiki: the king of sake rice, used exclusively World-renowned: Dassai's flagship, poured at the highest tables Elegant and fruity: melon, pear and white flowers, with a silky, clean finish How to Serve Well chilled: serve cool, around 8–10°C, never warmed Wine glass: a tulip glass shows its delicate aromatics With food: sushi, sashimi, oysters and the lightest seafood As a gift: a recognised name and an elegant bottle for an occasion 獺祭 — Dassai, and the meaning of 23 Dassai is made by Asahi Shuzo in the mountains of Yamaguchi, a brewery that rewrote the rules of premium sake. It makes only Junmai Daiginjo, brews year-round rather than just in winter, and relies on meticulous data and craft rather than a single master toji, an approach that took it from a struggling local maker to a global name. The "23" is its statement piece: Yamada Nishiki polished down to 23% of its original size, discarding more than three-quarters of every grain to reach the pure, starchy heart. The result is sake of remarkable clarity and finesse. Learn more: The SushiSushi Guide to Sake Why polish the rice so far? The outer layers of a rice grain hold proteins and fats that create rougher, heavier flavours in sake. Milling them away leaves the clean starch at the centre, which ferments into something lighter, purer and more aromatic. Polishing to 23% is at the far end of what is practical, slow, costly and wasteful of rice, but it is what gives Dassai 23 its signature delicacy: fragrant, fruity, silky and exceptionally clean, with none of the heaviness of a lesser sake. Product Details Grade 純米大吟醸 — Junmai Daiginjo Brand Dassai (獺祭), Asahi Shuzo, Yamaguchi Rice / Polish Yamada Nishiki, polished to 23% ABV 16% Sake Meter Value +3 Acidity 1.2 Serve Well chilled, 8–10°C Volume 720ml Origin Yamaguchi, Japan What does the "23" mean? It is the rice polishing ratio: 23% of each grain remains after milling, meaning 77% has been ground away to reach the pure starch at the centre. The lower the number, the more refined and delicate the sake, and 23% is at the extreme end of what breweries attempt. It is Dassai's signature and the reason for the bottle's clean, fragrant elegance. Should I ever serve it warm? No. A delicate, aromatic daiginjo like this is built for cool serving, around 8–10°C, where its fruit and floral notes are at their best. Warming it would blow off the very aromatics that make it special. Keep it chilled, pour it into a wine glass, and serve it as you would a fine white wine. What food pairs with it? Keep the food as refined as the sake. It is glorious with sushi and sashimi, oysters and other delicate raw seafood, and lightly steamed white fish, where nothing competes with its finesse. It is also a wonderful aperitif on its own, well chilled, to open a special meal.
