noun
sake brewed without added saccharides and with limited seed alcohol
A specific category of sake defined by Japanese tax law: no added sugars, and the amount of brewer's alcohol added is limited to 120 liters per tonne of rice. Often labeled as 本醸造.
See also: 本醸造 (ほんじょうぞう)
この本醸造酒はすっきりとした味わいです。
This honjōzō-shu has a clean, crisp taste.
本醸造酒は、純米酒と並んで日本酒の代表的な種類です。
Honjōzō-shu, along with junmai-shu, is a representative type of sake.
From 本 (hon, 'main' or 'true') + 醸造 (jōzō, 'brewing') + 酒 (shu, 'alcohol/sake'). The term reflects the legal definition of a brewing process that uses a limited amount of added alcohol.