Suntory Spirits will release “Ao (SMOKY PLEASURE) ”, a limited edition of its world-blend whisky “Ao”.
It is a blend of the world’s five major whiskey brands, centered on peated maltbase whisky. It is said to have the strong smokiness of Irish and Scotch, the rounded smokiness of Japanese, and the smoothness of Canadian and American.
The release date is June 7, 2022. It will be released in limited quantities.
1. Suntory World Whisky Ao (SMOKY PLEASURE)
Image Exhibit: SUNTORY Official HP
| Product name | SUNTORY WORLD WHISKY “Ao <SMOKY PLEASURE>” |
| Content volume | 700ml |
| Alcohol content | 43% |
| Sake Classification | Blended Whisky |
| Release Date | June 7, 2022 |
| Suggested Retail Price | 5,500 yen (tax included) |
This time, we have blended the world’s five major whisky-producing regions with a focus on peated malt whisky, which is characterized by its smoky character. Through the new “Ao <SMOKY PLEASURE>” which is layered with “smoky” whiskies from around the world, we hope to convey the deep appeal of whisky to a wider audience.
About the flavor and package
The new Ao <SMOKY PLEASURE> is a blend of Irish and Scotch whiskys with a strong smoky character, Japanese whisky with a rounded smoky character, and American and Canadian whisky, giving it a smooth taste with a smoky character.
The packaging uses gray as the base color of the label to clearly express the smoky flavor. The design also expresses the overlapping flavors of the various base liquors with a variety of interwoven colors.(Quoted from SUNTORY’s official website )
2. Suntory World Whisky Ao
| Product name | SUNTORY WORLD WHISKY “Ao” |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Alcohol content | 43% |
| Sake classification | Blended Whisky |
| Release Date | April 16, 2019 |
| Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price | 5,500 yen (tax included) |
| Owned distillery | Japan |
Suntory World Whisky Ao, released on April 16, 2019, is a blend of five world-class whiskies made at seven of Suntory’s own distilleries listed above (Cooley Distillery, Ardmore Distillery, Glengilly Distillery, Jim Beam Distillery, Alberta Distillery, Yamazaki Distillery, Hakushu Distillery). This blended whisky is made by selecting and blending the original whisky from the world’s five major whisky distilleries (Glengilly, Jim Beam, Alberta, Yamazaki, and Hakushu). The blue label and the compass on the bottle neck are inspired by the image of the ocean that connects the world, and the pentagonal bottle symbolizes the world’s five major whiskies.
It is a complex and flavorful whisky with the characteristics of whiskies from around the world spreading in the mouth. It is an interesting bottle to find out which original whisky is where.
3. Consideration
Ao was initially released in limited quantities, but was later released as a regular product. It would be nice if Ao <SMOKY PLEASURE> would be released as a regular product at a later date, but recently, not only Japanese but also Scotch and Bourbon are being sold out or discontinued due to a shortage of original sake. I think that the sales may be limited to a limited quantity.
I wonder what kind of sake will be used for Ao <SMOKY PLEASURE> and how smoky the flavor will be.
As the name “SMOKY PLEASURE” suggests, we expect that it will be a well-balanced blend of Bowmore and Laphroaig distilleries whiskies, which are not used in the regular Ao.
■ Please check out this article for more information on Suntory’s other whiskys.
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