BY (Brewery Year)

BY (Brewery Year) is a sake industry term for the sake brewing year, which runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. This period is set to coincide with the start of new sake production, and sake made from rice harvested in a given year carries a number on its label indicating its brewing year. For example, sake brewed in 2015 is labeled "15BY," indicating the 2015 brewing year. BY is also the basis on which sake producers in Japan report their shipment volumes to the National Tax Agency, making it one of the key pieces of identifying information for sake.