How to read a sake label

Short answer: Start with the grade (like Junmai or Junmai Ginjo), then the polishing ratio, the rice variety, the alcohol content, and where it was brewed. If the label lists SMV and acidity, they hint at how dry or rich it tastes. A bottling date tells you how fresh it is.

A sake label can look like a puzzle, especially when half of it is in Japanese. The good news is that most labels share the same handful of facts, and once you know where to look, you can tell a lot about a sake before you open it.

The front: brand and grade

The biggest words on the front are usually the brand name (meigara). Many are poetic names chosen by the brewery, so they don't tell you much about taste on their own.

The most useful word on the front is the grade. Premium sakes fall into a group called tokutei meishoshu (特定名称酒), and each grade follows rules on how much the rice is polished and whether a little distilled alcohol is added:

On the label	Japanese	What it means
Junmai	純米	Rice, water, koji, yeast. No added alcohol
Junmai Ginjo	純米吟醸	Junmai with rice polished to 60% or less
Junmai Daiginjo	純米大吟醸	Junmai with rice polished to 50% or less
Honjozo	本醸造	Rice polished to 70% or less, a little added alcohol
Ginjo	吟醸	Rice polished to 60% or less, may include a little added alcohol
Daiginjo	大吟醸	Rice polished to 50% or less, may include a little added alcohol

If you see the word junmai (純米), there's no added alcohol. Sake that doesn't fall into these grades is often called futsushu, or table sake, and plenty of it is very good. For the full breakdown, read the types of sake.

Polishing ratio

The polishing ratio (seimai buai, 精米歩合) shows how much of each rice grain is left after milling. A label that says 60% means 40% of the grain was polished away.

A lower number means more polishing. That often leads to a lighter, more aromatic sake, but it's not a quality score. Plenty of excellent sakes use rice polished only a little. Our polishing ratio guide explains how it changes flavor.

Rice, region, and brewery

Rice variety. Many premium sakes name the rice. Yamada Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku, Omachi, and Miyama Nishiki are some of the best-known sake rice varieties. Learn more in sake rice.

Prefecture and brewery. The label usually names the brewery and where it is. Region can hint at style: Niigata is known for clean, crisp sake, for example. The brewery name often includes shuzo (酒造) or shuzoten.

Ingredients. Japanese labels list ingredients (genzairyo, 原材料名). For a Junmai sake that's simply rice and rice koji. If you see jozo alcohol (醸造アルコール), distilled alcohol was added, as in Honjozo or Ginjo. What is sake made from covers each ingredient.

Alcohol, size, and date

Alcohol content (arukoru-bun, アルコール分) is shown as a percentage, often as a range on Japanese labels. Most sake is around 15 to 16% ABV. Undiluted genshu can be higher.

Volume. Common sizes are 180 mL, 300 mL, 720 mL, and 1.8 L. The 180 mL size is one go, a traditional sake measure.

Bottling date (seizo nengetsu, 製造年月). Japanese labels show the month the sake was bottled, not a "best by" date. Since most sake is best fresh, this is worth checking. See how long sake lasts.

The optional numbers and words

Many back labels add details for curious drinkers:

SMV (nihonshu-do, 日本酒度): plus numbers lean dry, minus numbers lean sweet. Read sake meter value.
Acidity (san-do, 酸度): higher numbers usually taste crisper and fuller. See sake acidity.
Yeast (kobo, 酵母): some labels name the yeast strain.
Nama (生): unpasteurized. Keep it cold.
Genshu (原酒): undiluted, usually higher in alcohol.
Nigori (にごり): cloudy sake.
Kimoto or Yamahai: traditional starter methods, often fuller and more savory.

You'll find more terms in our sake glossary.

What a US label shows

Imported sake sold in the US gets an English label too, either a full label or a sticker on the back. You'll usually find:

The brand name and the word sake
The alcohol content and volume (in mL)
The importer's name and location
The country of origin, such as "Product of Japan"
The US government warning about alcohol
A sulfite statement, if the sake contains them at the level that requires one