Kiku-Masamune is a historic Sake brewer that's one of Japan's oldest, dating back to 1659 - that's over 350 years ago and back then the fourth Tokugawa Shogun was still reigning over Japan!

The brewery comes from the Kano family, whose name was given to them by the Emperor when they had presented him with Sake made with amongst the purest groundwater from Mikagezawa some 600 years ago. The name itself means "to receive with joy and compliments" - don't we all want that! 

Kiku-Masamune brewery in Nada.

A Brief History Of Kiku-Masamune

And so when the Kano family had started brewing under the name Kiku-Masamune ("Kiku" to mean Chrysanthemum, the Japanese symbol for longevity and prosperity; "Masamune" to refer to a righteous sect, and whose alternate pronunciation means Seishu or Pure Sake), they had in mind a very particular style of Sake that they had wanted to make - a dry style Sake.

At the time, they were based in Nada which had not yet become recognised for its Sake - yet Sake lovers would know that later on it would become very popular for the area's high quality rice, more broadly recognised as Hyogo Prefecture's Sakemai (Sake-making rice), and its hard water which was mineral rich and produced strong Sake starters. Nevertheless, the rise of the Kudarizake practice would bring great fame to the Kano family. "Kudari" refers to the act of "Going Down", the context of which was that you'd go down from Kobe (where Nada is at) to Edo (today Tokyo) - and so this simply referred to a Sake that was worth going down for! Thus the practice of shipping Sakes in vessels down the river from Kobe to Tokyo was highly popular and Kiku-Masamune would build a solid fanbase in Tokyo (then Edo). Kiku-Masamune is therefore credited with helping to popularise Nada district Sakes!

Sake being shipped in vessels down to Tokyo (then Edo).

Over the subsequent generations, successive Kano's would do well to helm the family's brewery and continue to invest in upgrading the brewery and raising the quality of the Sake produced and in turn the brewery's reputation. At one point, they even served as the appointed purveyor to the Imperial household. Something Kiku-Masamune is particularly proud of is that through its three century long history, despite the inevitable ups and downs, the brewery has managed to sustain its quality, and thus its consistency is a testament to the family's commitment to Sake brewing. In a 1949 public opinion survey done across major Japanese cities, Kiku-Masamune was cited most as being the preferred Sake, and for the brewery, they've emphasised that this means more to them than the awards they've received.

How Does Kiku-Masamune Achieve Its Signature Dry Flavour

Besides using top quality Yamadanishiki rice, known of course as the King of Sake Rice, and incredibly high quality water that the region is known for, known as Miyamizu, perhaps the biggest part of achieving that dryness is Kiku-Masamune's use of the ancient traditional method of Kimoto to create its Sake starter, known as Shubo.

Kimoto is a highly laborious and time consuming method wherein brewers, using wooden poles, constantly pound at a small portion of rice to naturally inoculate it in order to create the Sake starter mash that will be used to ferment the entire batch of rice into Sake. This is an approach that was historically used before commercially available industrial yeast starters were made available, which today allows for brewers to complete the process in just days. The Kimoto method takes up to 4 weeks instead and requires great skill and craftsmanship, apart from being much more labour intensive and costly.

And so today we're going to try the full range of Kiku-Masamune's flagship Sakes. We'll start with what they've come to become highly known for - the Junmai Taru Sake, that's aged in cedar, and then follow on to their freshly pressed Shiboritate range going from Junmai to Daiginjo, ending off with Junmai Daiginjo! 

Head's up - the Junmai Daiginjo was my favourite of the lot!

Sake Review: Kiku-Masamune Junmai Taru Sake | 菊正宗 純米 樽酒

We start off with perhaps the most recognisable Sake from Kiku-Masamune, this is the Taru style Sake whereby the Sake is aged in cedar barrels, a historic style that was once particularly popular when Sake had to be shipped in vessels.

Here, Kiku-Masamune brews the Sake using the Kimoto method and then stores it in Yoshino Cedar. Yoshino Cedar grows in the Kii Peninsula where the climate is warm and sees lots of rainfall.

Tasting Notes

Color: Clear

Aroma: There’s a deep savouriness, like HP Sauce, maybe mixed in with alittle bit of soy sauce. It’s distinct and rich but not dense. It’s quite heavy on the umami.

Taste: Bright, buoyant body, savoury still - that HP Sauce continues. Yet there’s a sort of cleanness to the body. It's almost like freshly cleaned tiles. It’s not heavy and has a river water sort of minerality to it reminiscent of Evian water.

Finish: More umami, it’s got a good depth, before finally a clean finish.

My Thoughts

If you’re into umami, this one is definitely for you - it has an incredibly striking umami savouriness that I can only liken to being midway between HP Sauce and Soy Sauce. I find that to be a love-it-or-hate-it, somewhat divisive flavour profile. What I did like though was the bounciness of its body that felt texturally vibrant. Nevertheless, a rather strange one that I haven’t wrapped my head around. I do think perhaps some richness and creaminess would do this some added good. 

Sake Review: Kiku-Masamune Kojo Shiboritate Junmai Sake | 菊正宗 香醸 しぼりたて 純米酒 

Shiboritate means "Freshly Pressed" and typically refers to Sake that's been made just that year and to retain that freshness, less or no pasteurisation is used, and hence the Sake has to be enjoyed soon after it is made.

This is Kiku-Masamune's Shiboritate Junmai, where the rice is only lightly milled, and with no brewer's alcohol added.

Tasting Notes

Color: Clear

Aroma: Umami but brighter here, like bonito flakes. More of that soy sauce scent, and then put with some light yogurt and melon scents. 

Taste: Nice richness with a more creamy body. It’s lightly sweet of yogurt, but keeps that savouriness of bonito flakes.

Finish: More savouriness with umami HP Sauce, but this time it’s on creamy yogurt that gives some gentle milky sweetness. 

My Thoughts

This Sake is alittle bit of a tale of two halves - on one side it’s a umami rich style that you tend to find in Sakes from around coastal regions where there’s a heavy focus on umami rich seafood, and then on the other half you get the more classic Junmai style yogurt and melons. What’s nice here is that the two styles are integrated and you get alittle bit of both at different junctures, and they also do balance each other out somewhat. But to that end, it can also be quite the stretch for the palate going pole to pole.

Sake Review: Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate Daiginjo Sake | 菊正宗 しぼりたて 大吟醸

Shiboritate means "Freshly Pressed" and typically refers to Sake that's been made just that year and to retain that freshness, less or no pasteurisation is used, and hence the Sake has to be enjoyed soon after it is made.

This is Kiku-Masamune's Shiboritate Daiginjo, which also means brewer's alcohol has been added here, but the rice here has been milled to at least 50%.

Tasting Notes

Color: Light Tint

Aroma: Subtle blend of fresh melon and green apples, with a very light hint of fresh snow pear. Faint backdrop of brown rice.

Palate: Lightly sweet, reminiscent of a light honey drizzled on apple slices. The texture is medium in body, with a very mellow and smooth experience. Gentle sweet notes are quickly followed by tart notes of plum and a yuzu citrus zestiness, and a mild dryness at the back of the tongue.  

Finish: Leaves a slight drying sensation, not overwhelming but just enough to cleanse the palate. 

My Thoughts

Overall, the Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate Daiginjo is straightforward and very easy to drink. It fits a wider set of palates and is generally going to be a pleaser without being too divisive. It's fruit driven and has an approachable sweetness. Its mellowness and clarity makes it suitable for occasions when we want a sake that does not distract from the dishes at hand. 

That said, my preference is for this to be a little more pronounced in dryness.

Sake Review: Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate Junmai Daiginjo Sake | 菊正宗 しぼりたて 純米大吟醸

Shiboritate means "Freshly Pressed" and typically refers to Sake that's been made just that year and to retain that freshness, less or no pasteurisation is used, and hence the Sake has to be enjoyed soon after it is made.

This is Kiku-Masamune's Shiboritate Junmai Daiginjo, where no brewer's alcohol has been added here, and the rice is milled to at least 50%.

Tasting Notes

Color: White Wine

Nose: Very vibrant and inviting array of fresh summer fruits. Bright notes of ripe banana and sweet pineapples, with a touch of lychee and just a hint of earthiness from shiitake mushrooms. 

Taste: A moderate sweetness and a smooth, medium-light texture. Opens with a robust note of bananas and vanilla, with steamed rice and light note of sweet green grapes. 

Finish: Long and pronounced, with a clear refined note of steamed rice and a crisp aftertaste of sparkling white wine. 

My Thoughts

Compared to the Daiginjo bottle (above) which felt alittle more muted, the Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate Junmai Daiginjo offers a surprising and delightful burst of fruitiness. It has very vibrant and front-and-center fruity aromas, along with a memorable dryness and acidity.

This makes for a fantastic sake companion to richer dishes.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot