It looks like we're getting a 2024 Edition of the Suntory Tsukuriwake Selection, starting with two classic expressions - an 18 Year Old Hakushu Peated Malt and a 18 Year Old Yamazaki Mizunara Japanese Oak Cask.

Both the 18 Years Old Hakushu Peated Malt and the 18 Year Old Yamazaki Mizunara Japanese Oak Cask expressions are bottled at 48% ABV.

Unpacking Tsukuriwake

The name "Tsukuriwake" refers to the philosophy of diversity in the making, which Suntory takes to refer to the blending of its various component malts in a harmonious mastery for both its classic Hakushu and Yamazaki expressions - a critical source of pride for the Japanese whisky maker.

Tsukuriwake is actually one of Suntory's core pillars of their whiskymaking philosophy; alongside Mizu Seichi - Pure Water, Shiki - the Four Seasons, Jukusei Taru - Aging and Casks, and Hito No Chowa - Team Spirit and Legacy.

When Did We Last See Suntory's Tsukuriwake Selection?

We last saw the Suntory Tsukuriwake Selection in 2022, which featured a four-set collection of Yamazaki component malts - Spanish Oak, Puncheon, Peated Malt and Mizunara. This followed the same selection which made its first debut in 2020, which instead featured a five-set collection of Yamazaki component malts that included an additional Bordeaux Wine Cask aged Yamazaki expression. In 2021, Suntory alternated its distilleries, instead featuring Hakushu for its Tsukuriwake Selection with a Spanish Oak and a Peated Malt expression.

Now topping the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Tsukuriwake Selections, the 2024 Edition of Suntory's Tsukuriwake Selection will not only feature a mix of Yamazaki and Hakushu expressions, but perhaps more noticeably, both expressions will feature an 18 Years Old age statement as compared to the NAS expressions of previous years!

What remains worth watching out for is that there will most likely be additional expressions to the 2024 Edition of Suntory's Tsukuriwake Selection - will these feature strong age statements too?

PS. Every time we said Tsukuriwake take a shot.