Suntory AO World Whisky

The Beam-Suntory company has grown so big, that they own whisk(e)y everywhere. Proof of that, is this worldwide blend, made from whiskies from the top 5 countries that produce this marvelous spirit: Scotland, Ireland, Usa, Japan and Canada. There is a little bit of everything in here, and i really did not know what to expect, but i got something i really like: peat. "AO" means blue in Japanese, and it makes sense for this whisky to have that name, since there is nothing more global in planet earth than water, and also the word "whisky" comes from the gaelic Uisge-Beatha, which means "water of life". Bottled at 43%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, a peaty little fellow. Prunes, iodine, sea. Peat and sawdust. Sea foam and hazelnut. Lovely. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a smokey, salty chocolate. Hints of Maize. On the palate, it was very sweet, a Vanilla explosion. Super creamy and floral, maize and vanilla from grain whiskies. There is definitively a bourbon profile here. Vanilla cream, fondant. Aftertaste was mildly peated. Sawdust, tobacco, barbecue. Very ashy. Iodine, pepper and salt. Metallic notes like iron. Feels like a Bowmore (which is owned by Suntory). Overall, this was a surprise dram for me. I didn't expect it to be this good and enjoyable, since the whisky profiles from the different countries used are somehow disonant if you taste them one by one. A good offering, my score for it is 84 over 100.

This one is a wild offer from Japan as it incorporates whiskies from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, America (JB distillery), and Japan. Nose: honey, vanilla, a light touch of citrusy orange zest, crisp orchard fruits, sweet malt, and toasted oak with the mildest wisp of char and peat smoke. Palate: very nice mouthfeel, rich malt with a little honey and vanilla from the American and Canadian whiskeys, a flash of the fruitiness from the Irish and Scotch whiskies peeks through for a moment and quickly transitions to baking spices, cinnamon, and a nice touch of peppery barrel spices. The Japanese whiskey seems to be the base foundation of the blend and keeps somewhat neutral but offering a little herbal touch to the end of the palate and the beginning of the finish. The finish itself is medium in length with a smoky woody tone. Just oily enough to give it a little cling too. Overall, this is a fun one to try and definitely a unique marriage of whiskies from around the world.

Nose - Fairly light, grainy sweet, watered-down honey Taste - Gentle clean peat, generic grain sweetness, hint of apples/pears, gentle gingery tingle Finish - Light smoke, generic grain sweetness, apple Score - 71/100 Final Thoughts - This isn't bad, but it also isn't good. This feels like it was made to be a super lightly peated version of Toki with a "fun" story behind it. This feels like it's made to be mixed into a generic highball and sipped while eating loads of grilled meats. It's very light in almost every aspect and just generally very forgettable. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose: Floral oaky sweetness. A very faint earthy smoke. Buttery Irish like barrel tannin. Apple Vinegar ( but less acid funk), overall very light with slight baking spice. Palate: I taste a good bit of Irish type notes. Same light buttery Christmas cookie and baking spice. The medium dark floral bitterness is present as well. There is some oaky barrel sweetness but it’s faint to me. It’s delicate light and pretty. Finish: Slightly dry and medium in length (sticks around longer than expected. I’m left with a a barrel astringency and floral bitterness. A light vanilla and floral sweetness present. Bitter melon fruit towards the end

Light gold color. Nose is softly smoked, with a fair amount of oak and a chocolate/cherry essence. Flavor is easy going, balanced and with more of that chocolate/cherry on the palate. The flavors hit all areas of the mouth, with high tannic notes, low malt, ethereal smoke, and a touch of malty sweetness. There’s even a touch of brine. The finish is long, with a spicy tinge at the end. A very interesting blend, and one that is really an amalgamation of whisk(e)y culture, than a typical Japanese style. This is a fine sipping whiskey that would also make for an excellent Manhattan, Old Fashioned or even a Sazerac.

No bottling/batch code. Light copper in color, mild oak spice and caramel apple nose with some doughy grain peeking through. Fair bit going on on the palate: some smokiness upfront, baking spice, young oily malt, fruity apple, and grassy/herbal bitterness that lingers on. Fairly light-bodied, a few drops of water brings out more fruit and the young malt, not that helpful. Interesting but ultimately gimimicky concept, blending 5 different whiskies together for one bottling. Not bad, but it doesn't quite cohere, and the malt isn't to my taste.