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Oct 27, 2022 - 11:18 AM
In the modern day, having a polish of 80% is relatively rare. The outside grains of the rice contain more fats and proteins that can interfere with the fermentation process and produce some uncommon tasting notes in the final product. The more polished the rice is, the easier it can be for the koji to penetrate to the center or heart of the rice grain as well. Even until recently, rice that was not polished to at least 70% could not qualify to be called Junmai. Though that ruling has been overturned in recent years and brewers have been able to show that they can make high-quality sake from even unpolished rice. We're starting to see an increase in lightly polished sake, so while they are still a rarity, I would expect to see more in the coming years!
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