Gotō Shuzōten
Benten Tokubetsu Junmai-shu Tsuyahime
Alcoholic
Beverages
Benten Tokubetsu Junmai-shu Tsuyahime is a sake produced by Gotō Shuzōten in Takahata, in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture. A distinctive feature of this release is its use of Tsuyahime, a local rice variety primarily grown for eating.
It is made from Yamagata-grown Tsuyahime rice, rice kōji, and water, without added distilled alcohol. According to the brewery’s current specifications, the rice is polished to 65% of its original grain weight, and the sake contains 15% alcohol.
It has a light, slightly dry character and a clean, sharply defined palate, making it well suited to drinking with a meal. It is best served chilled, although it can also be enjoyed at room tem
Producer
Gotō Shuzōten is a sake brewery in Takahata, in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture, founded in 1788. It is best known for its Benten brand, named after Benzaiten, the goddess of music and the arts, to whom a nearby shrine is dedicated.
Its approach centers on small-batch production, carefully selected rice, and a combination of hands-on craftsmanship and modern equipment. It also uses rice grown under contract in fields tended by its brewery workers. A distinctive feature is its kōji room, whose stainless-steel walls and ceiling help maintain a high standard of hygiene.
Its range includes sake made from Dewa Sansan, Dewa no Sato, Yuki Megami, Kame no O, Aiyama, and Omachi rice varieties, spanning junmai, junmai ginjō, and junmai daiginjō, alongside aged and seasonal releases, sparkling sake made from Tsuyahime rice, and a sake-based plum liqueur.