Great experience, and great sake (though not cheap). Would definitely recommend if you are in the area.
Weina Li
I’ve been here twice, and the sake pairing is amazing. I tried the flight of three, and their signature Type 23 was my favorite. The food—sushi, cheese & meat plate, and the Lady M Dassai Blue Mille Crêpes cake, was all delicious and matched perfectly with the sake. The atmosphere is calm, spacious, and surrounded by greenery. The first time I visited, the service was excellent. But on my second visit, it felt a bit unwelcoming and disorganized, which was disappointing compared to the first experience.
Ang S
Kind employees, incredibly clean and sophisticated. Such a beautiful building and property. Fresh food and amazing Sake.
Darius Powell
Great place, great people, great sake!
Nick Chilson
Super cool place. The building and the grounds are so nice, and the food and sake are great! Look out for special events like festivals that they run.
Mathew Wong
what an experience even with just sitting and having a tasting of their delicious blue brewery sake! Year 23 and 35 is out of this world!!! Cannot wait to come back!!
daniel palkowski
Pricey but good, excellent sake
Vadim Solodukhin
The tour was really informative. I recommend a tasting with preordered lunch (as many menu items come from the nearby culinary institute.) The dessert was exquisite.
🏭 Location & Concept • The first Dassai facility outside Japan, built with traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern design, nestled in Hudson Valley, close to the Culinary Institute of America  . • Comprises two main buildings (rice‑polishing and brewing), covering about 55,000 sq ft, with annual capacity of roughly 140,000 cases .
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🍶 Sake & Production Quality • Produces premium Junmai Daiginjo made exclusively from Yamada Nishiki rice, polished to 23%, 35%, or 50% for progressively cleaner, fruitier flavors . • Uniquely uses Hudson Valley water, aiming to craft a sake that not only mirrors but rivals or exceeds its Japanese counterpart . • Recent Gold Medal winner in the 2024 Overseas Sake Competition .
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🍷 Tasting Room & Tours • Open seven days a week, with both walk-in sake-by-the-glass and guided tasting tours (tours cost around $50–85, include sake flight and small bites) . • Tours offer behind‑the‑scenes access to brewing and polishing areas, plus a modern tasting room serving sushi, cheese, and meat plates in collaboration with the CIA . • Visitors consistently report the environment as welcoming, educational, and well-staffed .
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🤝 Collaboration & Experience • Strong partnership with the Culinary Institute of America—brewing training, certification programs, and tailored food pairings . • Staff are knowledgeable and attentive, explaining concepts like tema (the craftsmanship principle) and explaining rice polishing ratios in accessible terms .
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🌟 Guest Feedback • Highly rated on review platforms; comments include “really nice place to come with friends and do some sake tasting” . • Reddit commenters note the sake’s light natural carbonation (a mark of freshness) and advise enjoying it chilled in wine glasses—suitable as a casual and refined drink .
⸻
💡 Visitor Tips • Reservation for tours is recommended, though walk‑ins for tasting are welcome . • Tours run Tuesdays to Sundays; walk-in glass‑by‑glass available Wednesday–Sunday . • Ideal to sample multiple styles—Blue 23 is fruity with notes of pear, honeysuckle, and minerality, perfect for sipping or pairing .
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✅ Final Verdict
Dassai Blue Sake Brewery is a standout destination for sake lovers and curious drinkers alike. It brings world-class sake production to the U.S., with: • A beautiful, well-designed facility • Excellent educational tours and tastings • Premium Junmai Daiginjo sake • Friendly and informed staff • Collaborative culinary experiences via the CIA
📍 Worth a day-trip from CT—pair it with a visit to the CIA or a scenic drive through the Hudson Valley. Cheers! 🍶
Joe Chow
We did a Production Area Tour and sake tasting with sushi. It was a wonderful experience!
Martin Rydland
Cannot compare to the real Dassai in Japan. Only made for an unrefined palette and threatening to ruin traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
Clement Chuang
The tour guide explained in detail, sushi and sake are a perfect match
Joann Clarke-Stein
We had a lovely time visiting Dassai and learned so much about the production of sake on the tour! The tasting was amazing and we enjoyed the small plates provided through the partnership with CIA very much! We look forward to visiting again soon!
Great unbeatable experience
Missed the brewery tour but did the sake tasting.
Great experience, and great sake (though not cheap). Would definitely recommend if you are in the area.
I’ve been here twice, and the sake pairing is amazing. I tried the flight of three, and their signature Type 23 was my favorite. The food—sushi, cheese & meat plate, and the Lady M Dassai Blue Mille Crêpes cake, was all delicious and matched perfectly with the sake. The atmosphere is calm, spacious, and surrounded by greenery. The first time I visited, the service was excellent. But on my second visit, it felt a bit unwelcoming and disorganized, which was disappointing compared to the first experience.
Kind employees, incredibly clean and sophisticated. Such a beautiful building and property. Fresh food and amazing Sake.
Great place, great people, great sake!
Super cool place. The building and the grounds are so nice, and the food and sake are great! Look out for special events like festivals that they run.
what an experience even with just sitting and having a tasting of their delicious blue brewery sake! Year 23 and 35 is out of this world!!! Cannot wait to come back!!
Pricey but good, excellent sake
The tour was really informative.
I recommend a tasting with preordered lunch (as many menu items come from the nearby culinary institute.)
The dessert was exquisite.
Restaurantji Recommends
🏭 Location & Concept
• The first Dassai facility outside Japan, built with traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern design, nestled in Hudson Valley, close to the Culinary Institute of America  .
• Comprises two main buildings (rice‑polishing and brewing), covering about 55,000 sq ft, with annual capacity of roughly 140,000 cases .
⸻
🍶 Sake & Production Quality
• Produces premium Junmai Daiginjo made exclusively from Yamada Nishiki rice, polished to 23%, 35%, or 50% for progressively cleaner, fruitier flavors .
• Uniquely uses Hudson Valley water, aiming to craft a sake that not only mirrors but rivals or exceeds its Japanese counterpart .
• Recent Gold Medal winner in the 2024 Overseas Sake Competition .
⸻
🍷 Tasting Room & Tours
• Open seven days a week, with both walk-in sake-by-the-glass and guided tasting tours (tours cost around $50–85, include sake flight and small bites) .
• Tours offer behind‑the‑scenes access to brewing and polishing areas, plus a modern tasting room serving sushi, cheese, and meat plates in collaboration with the CIA .
• Visitors consistently report the environment as welcoming, educational, and well-staffed .
⸻
🤝 Collaboration & Experience
• Strong partnership with the Culinary Institute of America—brewing training, certification programs, and tailored food pairings .
• Staff are knowledgeable and attentive, explaining concepts like tema (the craftsmanship principle) and explaining rice polishing ratios in accessible terms .
⸻
🌟 Guest Feedback
• Highly rated on review platforms; comments include “really nice place to come with friends and do some sake tasting” .
• Reddit commenters note the sake’s light natural carbonation (a mark of freshness) and advise enjoying it chilled in wine glasses—suitable as a casual and refined drink .
⸻
💡 Visitor Tips
• Reservation for tours is recommended, though walk‑ins for tasting are welcome .
• Tours run Tuesdays to Sundays; walk-in glass‑by‑glass available Wednesday–Sunday .
• Ideal to sample multiple styles—Blue 23 is fruity with notes of pear, honeysuckle, and minerality, perfect for sipping or pairing .
⸻
✅ Final Verdict
Dassai Blue Sake Brewery is a standout destination for sake lovers and curious drinkers alike. It brings world-class sake production to the U.S., with:
• A beautiful, well-designed facility
• Excellent educational tours and tastings
• Premium Junmai Daiginjo sake
• Friendly and informed staff
• Collaborative culinary experiences via the CIA
📍 Worth a day-trip from CT—pair it with a visit to the CIA or a scenic drive through the Hudson Valley. Cheers! 🍶
We did a Production Area Tour and sake tasting with sushi. It was a wonderful experience!
Cannot compare to the real Dassai in Japan. Only made for an unrefined palette and threatening to ruin traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
The tour guide explained in detail, sushi and sake are a perfect match
We had a lovely time visiting Dassai and learned so much about the production of sake on the tour! The tasting was amazing and we enjoyed the small plates provided through the partnership with CIA very much! We look forward to visiting again soon!
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