You may already know that this year marks a significant milestone for Suntory, one of Japan's most esteemed whisky producers, as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary.

Since founder Shinjirō Torii began running the iconic Yamazaki Distillery in 1923, Suntory has certainly come a long way, with several of the most recognisable brands of Japanese whisky around the world. In honour of this anniversary, Suntory has already announced an array of core bottlings from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki to celebrate the centennial milestone.

However, the latest release to commemorate the anniversary is most curious – it is a highly-exclusive limited edition bottling dubbed "Appreciation” that is labelled “Not for Sale”.

"Appreciation" is presented in a 180 ml mini bottle, accompanied by a Suntory whisky nosing glass, perfect for savouring the aroma and flavour of the whisky. The liquid appears to be a rather rare blend, with a portion taken from Yamazaki’s 30-year-old Mizunara cask-aged whisky, and some whisky from traditional Spanish oak barrels.

The set also includes a special letter of appreciation from Suntory’s President Nobuhiro Torii – the founder’s great grandson. The letter reads:

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the year our founder, Shinjirō Tori, began making whisky in Yamazaki Distillery. Shinjirō's passion for making whiskies that suit the palate of Japanese people has been passed down from generation to generation.

Our whisky has been supported by many customers so far, and we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you for your warm support. Although it is small, we have created an original blended whisky with gratitude for your support so far.

We want you to experience the complex and deep world of whisky, carefully selected and specially blended. We hope you will enjoy your time with us.

Suntory Limited will continue to strive for further quality improvement and customer-oriented product development and sales activities. We look forward to your continued guidance and encouragement.

As mentioned, this bottling is labelled “not for sale”, and is therefore only available to a select few in Japan. With a name like “Appreciation”, one might speculate that these are specially bottled as “tokens of appreciation” for loyal local customers and potentially employees. But this is really anyone’s guess!

As we raise a glass to Suntory and Yamazaki's centennial anniversary, we eagerly anticipate more exciting expressions they will create in the years to come.

Kanpai to Suntory and its enduring legacy!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team