“Taru” is the flagship umeshu (plum wine) brand from Nakata Foods, one of Japan’s leading umeshu producers. Their 5-year aged umeshu is limited to just 500 bottles annually and occasionally appears in major Hong Kong department stores. While its price often exceeds HKD 1,000, everyone who has tasted it agrees it’s a masterpiece among umeshu. Yet, there’s an even higher pinnacle—the “Taru” series also includes a 10-year cask-aged expression, known as the “phantom umeshu.” Only 100 bottles are released each year in Japan, selling out instantly and rarely making it to Hong Kong. This makes it one of the rarest umeshu on the market.

This “phantom umeshu” is made from the finest Nanko plums, soaked in high-proof neutral spirits with liquid sugar added to enhance its fruity aroma. After one year of maceration, the umeshu was transferred to oak casks in 2013 and aged for ten years, finally being bottled at the end of 2023 at 20% ABV. The long maturation gives the umeshu incredible depth, richness, and complexity.

According to official tasting notes, this umeshu is intensely aromatic and glides over the palate with no harsh alcoholic bite. The crisp sweetness of the plum and the profound bitterness from the oak gradually expand across the mouth, leaving a deep and lasting finish. The interplay of sweet and bitter lingers elegantly on the tongue.

Naturally, such a rare gem comes in exquisite packaging. The box is crafted from renowned Kishu cedar from Wakayama; opening it releases a delicate cedar fragrance. The box itself is solid and weighty, with rich, textured dark wood grain—a touch of understated luxury that’s truly hard to resist.