• Kiku-Masamune "Taru Sake" (hereinafter referred to as Taru Sake) is typically dry Japanese sake characterized by its refreshing taste and the wooden aroma of Yoshino cedar(Japanese cedar grown in the Yoshino area, Nara Prefecture).
  
  
• Nurtured in the temperate climate of the Kii-peninsula, Yoshino cedar has been traditionally considered as the best wood for making sake casks because of the consistency of its grain and the excellent aroma it gives.
  
  
• Taru Sake can be divided broadly into three categories: Taruzume-Sake (distributed in casks), Taru Sake-binzume (distributed in bottles), and Honbi-tarugakoi (seasonally limited sake) .

Delivered in wooden casks, its unique presentation graces special events such as New Year's ceremonies.

Taruzume-Sake is distributed in three different quantities: 18, 36, and 72 liters, with two cask designs: Honnidaru, covered with colorful straw matting, and Hadaka-taruzume, of which the natural wooden hue of the cask is exposed.

Making of Taruzume-Sake
The cask has to be tested for leakage by pouring water into it. Only when it's completely dry, the sake is put in the cask. Taruzume-Sake is only made to order as the whole process, which includes decorating the cask with straw matting, has to be done manually.

Tasting Tips
On special events, it is recommended that wooden ladles and wooden square cups be used with the cask to accentuate this unique Japanese experience. It is best to store leftover sake in a different container so that it doesn't absorb too much of the cedar's aroma.

This bottled Taru Sake offers a more casual way to enjoy the cedar's aroma.

Making of Taru Sake-binzume
Dry sake (Honjozo Sake *see the sake vocabulary index) aged in a 72-liter cask is bottled when the cedar aroma is in full effect.

Tasting Tips
This sake is best served chilled. You can also drink it at room temperature or heated to 40-45°C.

*Types of Casks - The Koutsuki cask and Akami cask

The color of the Japanese cedar differs depending on the layer of the wood. The wood closer to the outer layer is white, while the inside is red. The red layer primarily gives sake its aroma.

Koutsuki casks are made from the part of cedar where the red and white layers meet. The beautiful white layer is used for the exterior while the red layer gives the sake its aroma. Because of the limited amount of wood available, the cost of this sake is relatively expensive.

Akami casks are made from only the red layer of cedar. The sake aged in the akami casks is sold in bottles.