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Based in Okitama, Yamagata Prefecture, Goto Shuzoten is a jizake brewery dedicated to the small-lot production of high-quality sake since 1788. The current president is the eighth-generation owner, and his successor works at the brewery among the kurabito (brewery workers) during the winter sake-making months.
Primarily using rice grown by contracted producers, among them the brewery’ s own kurabito, Goto Shuzoten brews junmai-shu and junmai ginjo-shu, among others.
Its preferred rice varieties are sake rice such as Dewasansan, Tsuyahime, Kamenoo and Yamada Nishiki, especially those produced locally in Yamagata. Small-lot production and Yamagata’ s natural blessings ensure the excellent quality and great taste of Goto Shuzoten’ s sake.
Benten （辯天）
Flagship brand Benten was named after the goddess of music and performing arts, Benzaiten (Saraswati), who is one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune.
Benzaiten has traditionally been worshipped by musicians, dancers and other artists.
This gokujo junmai daiginjo-shu is an exclusive, premium sake made entirely from the Dewasansan variety of sake rice. Dewasansan, or “DEWA33” was developed through an almost 20-year-long research project led by Yamagata Research
Institute of Technology and the prefecture’s sake brewing industry for the overall enhancement of the prefecture’ s sake quality. Benten Dewasansan uses Dewasansan rice grown by Goto Shuzoten’s own toji (master brewer), milled down to just 35% of the original grain size. The resulting sake has a crisp, dry taste while retaining the signature mildness and richness of the rice. Bottled undiluted for maximum enjoyment of the sake’s intrinsic flavor, Benten Dewasansan is our most popular genshu.
Rice
100% Dewasansan sake rice produced in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Origin
Yamagata, Japan
Category
Junmai Ginjo
Tasting Notes
The Sawane astounds the senses from the glass with waves of night-blooming jasmine, freshly picked nectarine, yuzu zest, and freshwater minerality carried on a silken frame. It's a sake that will elevate any meal… or simply the conversation whenever you choose to open it. Polished to 35%, this Reserve Daiginjo has a vibrant aroma and crisp dry taste.
TOP quality – very bright – fruit forward – small production – low yield – high labor – elevated style.
For sake lovers, Benten is known as a luxe producer that’s hard to find outside of Japan or France’s finest restaurants. For wine lovers, it offers a delicious foray into the highest echelon of Japanese craftsmanship…for less than most “value” Napa Cabernets or Burgundies. But Benten is even harder to find than the rarest wines—in fact, it’s only just been available to select producers in the US.
From their perch in the Echigo mountains, Benten is an undisputed expert in the Junmai Gingo category. These mountains receive the highest snowfalls in Japan, and the pure snowmelt instills a highly-sought-after, absolutely silken texture to this sake.
