Honjozo
Rice polished to 70% or less with a small amount of added alcohol: light, dry and easy to drink.
- Rice left after polishing
- 70% or less
- Added alcohol
- Small amount allowed
- Typical US price, 720 ml
- $31 median
- Bottles at Tippsy
- 8
Honjozo (本醸造) allows brewer's alcohol up to 10% of the rice weight, with rice polished to 70% or less. The alcohol lightens the body and sharpens the finish, so honjozo is usually drier and lighter than a junmai at a similar price.
It's an everyday sake in Japan and one of the best choices for hot sake.
How to drink it: warm to hot (45–55°C), or chilled as a crisp aperitif.
Honjozo bottles you can buy in the US.
In stock at Tippsy, best-rated brands first.
Prices and bottle counts come from Tippsy's catalog on October 28, 2026. Sake 47 may earn a commission when you buy through these links. It never affects flavor data or rankings.
Other grades
Flavor profiles and rankings: Sakenowa (さけのわ) open data, built from drinkers' check-ins in Japan.