The numbers
| Term | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Seimai buai 精米歩合 | Polishing ratio: how much of the rice grain is left. 50% = half milled away. See grades. |
| Nihonshu-do 日本酒度 (SMV) | Sake Meter Value, a density reading. Positive numbers lean drier, negative lean sweeter. Acidity changes how dry it tastes, so treat it as a hint. |
| San-do 酸度 | Acidity. Higher acidity tastes crisper and drier; lower tastes softer and rounder. |
| Alcohol アルコール分 | Most sake is 15–16%. Undiluted genshu runs 17–20%. |
| Production date 製造年月 | When it was bottled, not brewed. Fresh styles are best within months. |
The rice
Labels often name the rice variety (原料米). A few you will see often:
- Yamada Nishiki 山田錦 — the “king of sake rice”, grown mostly in Hyogo. Elegant and well-rounded.
- Omachi 雄町 — an old Okayama variety. Earthy, rich and complex.
- Gohyakumangoku 五百万石 — common in Niigata. Clean and crisp.
- Miyama Nishiki 美山錦 — a cold-climate rice from Nagano. Light and dry.
Style words
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nama 生 | Unpasteurized. Fresh, lively, sometimes fizzy. Keep it in the fridge. |
| Genshu 原酒 | Undiluted. Higher alcohol, bolder flavor. |
| Muroka 無濾過 | Not charcoal-filtered. More flavor and color. |
| Kimoto 生酛 / Yamahai 山廃 | Traditional, slower starter methods. Often richer, with yogurt-like or savory notes. |
| Nigori にごり | Cloudy: some rice solids are left in. Usually creamy and sweet. |
| Koshu 古酒 | Aged sake. Amber, nutty, sometimes like sherry. |
The fastest shortcut
Every brand page on Sake 47 shows a six-part flavor profile built from what drinkers in Japan actually report, so you can skip the numbers and look at the taste. Try the sake finder.