Suntory Ao gets an Irish limited edition
Ao, the whisky that blends Suntory's own distillates from the world's five major whisky regions, has launched a limited edition in Japan that puts Ireland's character in the foreground.
Suntory, one of Japan’s major drinks makers, released a limited edition of its blended whisky “SUNTORY WHISKY Ao”, called “Ao
A whisky that brings together spirits from five countries
Ao blends only spirits made at Suntory Group’s own distilleries in the five countries regarded as the world’s major whisky regions: Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Canada and Japan. Suntory describes it as a “world first”. The “Ao” in the name is the Japanese word for the blue-green colour of the sea, and the concept is the ocean that connects the world. The blending is carried out by Suntory’s blenders in Japan, so the distinctive feature is that spirits from each country are brought together using Japanese craft.
A limited edition that foregrounds Ireland
The new series will highlight the character of each of the five major regions in turn. For the first release, IRISH EDITION, the spirits are again drawn from Suntory’s own distilleries in all five regions, with the Irish whiskey character strengthened within the blend. Suntory describes the taste as “fresh and light”. The label uses Echizen washi, a traditional handmade paper from Fukui Prefecture, and its bright colours evoke the atmosphere of Ireland. The bottle is 700ml and 43% ABV. The recommended retail price in Japan is 6,000 yen excluding tax.
For European readers
This release is for the Japanese market, and no sales in Europe have been announced. Several months have passed since launch and, as it is a limited run, stock may well have run out. If you want to track one down, the realistic option is to check arrival information from specialist sake and Japanese whisky shops and importers. For European readers who know Irish whiskey well, the interest lies in seeing how a familiar style has been interpreted in Japan. Since the taste is described as “fresh and light”, it could be enjoyed neat or with a little water to appreciate the aroma, or as a highball. If editions featuring other regions, such as Scotland or the United States, follow in the series, comparing them side by side would add to the fun.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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