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SUNTORY WORLD WHISKY 碧 Ao is the result of Suntory’s new challenge to develop a blended whisky by blending the five most unique whiskies in the world.

The whiskey is a message for a new era, befitting Suntory’s new challenge of continuing “inheritance and innovation. For the first time in the world, it is a blend of the original whiskeys of the “World’s Five Greatest Whiskeys” made at the company’s own distillery.

We named the bottle “Ao”, the deep and beautiful color of the ocean that connects Japan and the world, and used it as the brand’s color. The bottle also is designed to represent a compass and waves. The innovative “pentagonal bottle” represents the “world’s five great whiskeys. The corners of the bottle are placed in front of the label, and the English/black ink logotype on the label symbolizes the encounter between “the world’s finest whiskey and Japan’s master. These all represent the development concept of this product and convey a message for a new era.

A limited number of 360,000 bottles in total will be shipped in two seasons, summer and autumn/winter, starting April 16, 2019.

Tasting Notes

碧 “Ao” opens up a new world of whisky.

Raw spirits from seven distilleries are selected and carefully blended with master craftsmanship, taking advantage of their rich individuality.

It has a sweet, gorgeous aroma and a mellow mouthfeel. It is characterized by a thick, varied flavor and a pleasant smokiness.

You can enjoy the complex and rich changes in flavor that are woven by the individuality of the world’s five great whiskies.
The pentagonal bottle represents the five major whiskies of the world.

Our Take

Here is a message from Shinji Fukuyo, the fifth generation chief blender of Suntory whiskies including the Yamazaki limited series, and the man who led the development of 碧”Ao”.

I would start by pouring 碧”Ao” into a large glass and enjoy it straight, then add an ice cube and taste it, and when the ice has melted, add a little water to feel the changes. The trick to drinking it is to gradually dilute it with ice and water to enjoy the gradual change in taste. But don’t just assume that this is the right way to drink it, try different ways and enjoy the change in taste itself.
Try to find the floral taste of Jim Beam, the smoky taste of Ardmore, and the taste of Yamazaki sherry cask. I think these three are relatively easy to find. With the fun of solving this homework, I want you to experience the real appeal of 碧”Ao”.

It’s a whisky you can’t help but drink!
It is limited to 360,000 bottles. Please taste it at Toranomon BAR Shinkai as soon as possible.

(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)

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