Suntory is set to expand its World Travel Collection with a limited-edition Suntory Whisky Ao Scotch Edition, launching across Japan on Dec 15, 2026.
Formulated to highlight the blend’s Scotch malt component, the release marks the brand's strongest bottling to date at 51% ABV.
The limited nationwide release also follows June's Irish Edition, which was the first in Suntory's five-country blend series. Suntory’s core Ao expression balances whiskies sourced exclusively from its own distilleries across the world’s five major regions: Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Canada, and Japan.
The World Travel Collection, however, reimagines that formula by dialing up the influence of a single nation while keeping all five in the glass. In the Scotch Edition, this is said to bring a distinctly smoky and complex flavor profile to the forefront.
The company has not yet published how much each constituent component goes into the mix, the ages of the whiskies used or which Scottish distilleries supplied the malt. (The group’s Scottish holdings include Laphroaig and Bowmore on Islay, Ardmore in the Highlands, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, but Suntory has not linked any of them to this release).
The label uses traditional Echizen washi paper sourced from Fukui Prefecture—a signature touch also found on the core Ao bottle and Irish Edition. This release introduces a deep gray aesthetic, said to be chosen by Suntory to reflect the whisky's smoky profile.
This latest release comes less than a year after a major overhaul of the core Ao line. In December 2025, Suntory reformulated the standard blend, incorporating Yamazaki malt aged over 30 years in Spanish oak along with eight-year-plus bourbon while giving the packaging a fresh update.
Bottled at 51% ABV in a 700ml format, the expression will be sold nationwide in Japan in limited quantities with an MSRP of ¥6,000 before consumption tax.
Kanpai
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
