Junmai / Honjozo

Sake classification levels are determined by the percentage the rice is milled before the brewing process. In general, the more you polish (or mill) the rice, the more aromatically expressive the sake becomes (the rice polishing rate expresses the amount remaining, so lower numbers translate to higher polishing).

Junmai is premium sake that is made only from rice, water, and koji enzymes.  Although most junmai sake meet a polishing minimum of at least 70%, there is technically no minimum polishing rate designated to this category.  Junmai sakes are often rustic and full bodied, with pronounced umami.

Honjozo has a small amount of distilled alcohol added to help extract flavor and aroma. It is characteristically light, mildly fragrant, and easy to drink.