Umenoyado Sanca Honjouzo 梅乃宿山香本釀造 (1x72cl)

Most people only know junmai, so here is the honest explanation of honjozo: a small, measured amount of distilled alcohol is added during brewing. It is not there to stretch the volume — it lifts the aroma and lightens the body. This one is 梅乃宿山香本釀造, from Nara.

Honjozo is usually the everyday, food-friendly grade, and it is one of the few styles that is genuinely good warmed. Serve it gently warm, around body temperature up to roughly 45°C, for cold evenings and grilled or braised dishes; chill it lightly in the fridge in summer and it works with sashimi and lighter food. Either way, it is built to sit beside a meal rather than be studied on its own.

Tasting notes

Honjozo is typically light and clean with a dry finish, and warming usually brings the aroma forward.