The Sake Anatomy › Sake Brand Index › Kikuhime
No.64 · Brewery Profile
Kikuhime菊姫 · Kikuhime Goshi Gaisha 菊姫合資会社
Kikuhime, tracing its name to a deity of the Hakusan shrines, is one of the very few breweries that mills its own rice in-house — insisting on Special-A Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo’s Yokawa district and nothing less. Everything is brewed by yamahai, then rested at low temperature for years before release, producing amber, savory sake built for long aging rather than early drinking.
Who makes Kikuhime?
Kikuhime Goshi Gaisha, founded in 1573, tracing its name to a deity of the Hakusan shrines. It is one of the very few breweries that mills its own rice in-house, insisting on Special-A Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo’s Yokawa district and nothing less.
What does Kikuhime taste like?
Tagged Rich & Umami, everything is brewed by yamahai, then rested at low temperature for years before release. The Yamahai Junmai is a benchmark yamahai — full-bodied and savory, matured before release — while the Yamahai Ginjo, a genshu bottled at cask strength, is complex, dry and powerful, reaching jukushu (aged) classification.
Which bottle should you try first?
The Yamahai Junmai is described as a benchmark yamahai junmai, full-bodied and savory — the house’s defining, more approachable style ahead of the cask-strength Yamahai Ginjo.
How does Kikuhime compare to other Ishikawa breweries?
Kikuhime’s single Rich & Umami tag is shared with prefecture-mates Tengumai, tagged Rich & Umami and Acidity-driven, and Kagatobi, tagged Rich & Umami and Elegant & Refined, while Tedorigawa pairs Elegant & Refined with Rich & Umami instead — Kikuhime sits among Ishikawa’s savory, umami-driven cluster.
Frequently asked questions
What does Kikuhime’s name reference?
A deity of the Hakusan shrines.
What rice does Kikuhime insist on?
Special-A Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo’s Yokawa district, milled in-house by the brewery itself.
How many bottles does Kikuhime make?
Two on this page: the Yamahai Junmai and the cask-strength Yamahai Ginjo.
The bottles
Yamahai Junmai山廃仕込純米
醇酒 Junshu · Rich“A benchmark yamahai junmai; full-bodied, savory, matured before release.”
Yamahai Ginjo山廃吟醸
熟酒 Jukushu · Aged“Complex, dry and powerful, bottled at cask strength.”
Reading the bars: an editorial flavor reading (0–5) of each bottle — Dry→Rich, Light→Full, Subtle→Aromatic, Low→High acidity — not laboratory values. The colored badge is the SSI four-type classification (薨酒 Kunshu · 爽酒 Soshu · 醇酒 Junshu · 熟酒 Jukushu). SMV and acidity appear only where the brewery publishes them.
Sources: skurnik.com · midorinoshima.com