Sake specs
- Prefecture
- Yamagata (山形)
- Rice type
- Dewa 33 (出羽燦々)
- Polishing rate (semaibuai)
- 58%
- Alcohol content
- 15-16%
- SMV
- +2
- Acidity
- 1.4
Ginrei Gassan's Setchū Jukusei Junmai Ginjō (銀嶺月山 雪中熟成) is made of Dewa 33 rice milled down to 58%. The area around Mount Gassan is covered in 15 metres of snow throughout the year. This handmade junmai ginjō sake is brewed with water from the mountain's underground streams. The entire tank is buried under the snow, which allows the sake to mature at temperatures of around 0°C to bring out its umami, resulting in a gentle, elegant aroma and smooth taste—a limited-edition brew.
Gold medal winner in the Fine Sake Awards 2017.
2019 edition:
About the brewery
- Brewery
- Gassan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
- Name in Japanese
- 月山酒造株式会社
- Address
- 769-1 Yasawa, Sagae, Yamagata 990-0521
- Phone
- 0237-87-1114
- Website
-
月山酒造│雪と緑と名水の酒蔵 Gassan Sake Brewery co.,ltd
山形県の代表する月山の麓にある雪と緑と名水の酒蔵。銀嶺月山（ぎんれいがっさん）、槽前酒（ふなまえざけ）、萬年雪（まんねんゆき）を代表とする日本酒の老舗です。www.gassan-sake.co.jp
Gassan Brewery was established in 1972 by merging three companies: Shitaraku Shuzō (設樂酒造店, founded in 1896), Suzuki Shuzō (鈴木酒造, founded in 1700,) and Hachimanya Shuzō (八幡屋酒造店, founded in 1780). The company sells under its main label Ginrei-Gassan, and local brands Issei (一声), Horyū (豊龍) and Shirakiku (白菊) are brewed at the respective breweries. In September 2018, the company merged with Suzuki Shuzō (鈴木酒造) and became Horyū Brewery of Gassan Shuzo Co.
Mount Gassan, the central peak of the Dewasanzan mountain range, sees annual snowfall that remains even in mid-summer. The Gassan Sake Brewery, located at the foot of the mountain, is located in an area with some of the heaviest snowfalls in Yamagata Prefecture. The deep snow covering the brewery and the cold, dignified winters produce sake that is matured at low temperatures, enhancing its aroma and giving it a clear, deep flavour. It is said that melted snow water from Mount Gassan seeps underground and gushes out at the foot of the mountain after approximately 400 years. Ginrei Gassan is brewed from this 'Gassan subsoil water', one of Japan's 100 best water sources, and highly polished rice suitable for sake brewing.
The brewery maintains the Gassan Sake Brewery Museum.
Mount Gassan, the central peak of the Dewasanzan mountain range, sees annual snowfall that remains even in mid-summer. The Gassan Sake Brewery, located at the foot of the mountain, is located in an area with some of the heaviest snowfalls in Yamagata Prefecture. The deep snow covering the brewery and the cold, dignified winters produce sake that is matured at low temperatures, enhancing its aroma and giving it a clear, deep flavour. It is said that melted snow water from Mount Gassan seeps underground and gushes out at the foot of the mountain after approximately 400 years. Ginrei Gassan is brewed from this 'Gassan subsoil water', one of Japan's 100 best water sources, and highly polished rice suitable for sake brewing.
The brewery maintains the Gassan Sake Brewery Museum.
