KIKU MASAMUNE SHUZO

In April of 2016, for the very first time in 130 years, Kiku Masamune launched the new brand "Hyaku Moku" named for the Japanese idiom that expresses the profound impact of "100 Silences". The brand is driven by a modern concept of complementing all kinds of food, which is in contrast with the smooth, dry flavor that Kiku Masamune is known for. The initial launch was limited to 400 restaurants in Hyogo prefecture. This is a popular souvenir at the Kiku Masamune Sake Brewery Museum.

Dry Sake from Kimoto Method

The smooth, dry character of Kiku-Masamune's sake is a result of the authentic Kimoto method of brewing. This meticulous technique, which represents the very foundation of sake-brewing, involves an ancient method for creating moto (shubo), the yeast starter mash that ultimately ferments water, rice, and malted rice (koji) into alcohol. However, because this process takes about four weeks to finish—requiring roughly twice the time and effort of the standard method—and demands a highly challenging technique to maintain stability and consistency, only a small number of Japan's more than 1,000 sake breweries use it. Most breweries instead use the "quick fermentation" method (sokujo-moto), which involves adding commercially available lactic acid and cultivated yeast, producing results in just over two weeks. Despite this, the traditional Kimoto method, handed down through generations of master brewers, is gaining renewed interest.