Sake

Sake grades and labels, explained

Sake is easier than it looks once you know that four words on the label do most of the work. These guides cover the legal designations, the numbers breweries print on the back, and the storage rules that decide whether a bottle arrives in good condition.

Guides in this section

Sake

Junmai, ginjo, daiginjo: what sake grades actually mean

The eight legal sake designations, what the polishing percentage tells you, and how to read a Japanese label in about a minute.

Verified 2026-08-059 min read

Other sections

Japanese single malt and blended whisky bottles lined up on a bar counter

Japanese whisky

The 2021 labelling standard, how to tell a genuine Japanese whisky from a world blend, and which bottles earn their price at each level.

A shop wall stacked with Japanese sake bottles in their brewery labels

Buying & shipping

Which shops can legally ship to your country, what import duty costs you, and how to avoid the counterfeit problem at the top of the market.

Two whisky nosing glasses beside a candle in a dimly lit bar

What changed

Retailers rename, subscriptions get cancelled and labelling rules move. These pages track what has changed so you are not acting on stale advice.