At first glance, this would appear to be a Japanese whisky – in a sense it is, but to call this whisky a Japanese whisky is also a little misleading, as it’s actually composed of a mixture of grain and malt whiskies from five different countries around the world: namely Ireland, Scotland, America, Canada, and Japan. The master blender, however, hails from Suntory in Japan, and so it’s their product, and the result of their blending abilities and their creative vision.
Until very recently, Japan’s regulations allowed whisky producers to add whiskies from other countries into what could be called “Blended Japanese Whisky”. While this practice wasn’t kept a secret, it was not always obvious to consumers who could easily assume, without reading some fine print on the packaging, that the whisky was entirely Japanese-made.
Regulations in Japan have changed, however, and (in addition to a few other specifications regarding minimum ABV, grains used, and a minimum age) in order for a whisky to be labelled a Japanese whisky it now needs to be fermented, distilled and aged at a distillery in Japan, as well as bottled in Japan. Spirits that do not meet all the new requirements can still be labelled whisky, just not “Japanese” whisky. These rules came into effect on April 1 2021, but whisky producers had until March 31 2024 to make sure their labels complied.
For whiskies that include foreign spirit, many brands have started labelling them more transparently. You’ll now be able to read that whiskies are ‘Japanese-inspired’ or that they are a ‘whisky with Japanese influence’ instead of simply a “Japanese blended whisky.”
As Ao includes whisky from other countries, it states very clearly on the box and the bottle that this is a “Suntory World Whisky”.
They have also tried to be as clear as possible about where the whisky in the bottle comes from, stating that this is a “Japanese crafted blend of Irish, Scotch, American, Canadian and Japanese whiskies,” and that the whiskies are all sourced from Beam-Suntory owned distilleries in these five countries.
I was left wondering, however, whether the decision to order the list of countries as they did was, much like lists of ingredients on other products, an indication of which whisky in the blend was the most plentiful (where the ingredient listed first is present in the largest quantity, and the last ingredient is present in the smallest quantity).
According to Suntory’s website, the particular distilleries which the malt and grain whiskies that make up this blend come from are Cooley distillery in Ireland, Ardmore distillery (which is known to produce peaty whisky) and Glen Garioch distillery in Scotland, Jim Beam distillery in America, Alberta distillery in Canada, and Yamazaki distillery and Hakushu distillery in Japan.
The name “Ao” means the colour blue, and is so named for the colour of the sea that unites the continents of these five whisky-producing countries. The bottle itself has five sides, which is also meant to reference these five whisky-producing countries – it’s a thoughtful design touch, which I really quite like.
Some whisky drinkers may find that they feel a little wary of whisky that’s the result of blending together a range of whiskies from different countries across to the world – for those it might be worth considering again the compelling idea behind making blended whisky or blended malts that certain whisky blenders (or whisky makers) have done their best to champion.
The idea is simply that one is less limited when making whisky (i.e., you’re not restricted to the whisky from just one distillery), and so there is the potential to create something really great simply by mixing together what two (or more) magnificent distilleries have to offer. With a broader range of whisky to play around with, one also has a much broader array of interesting aromas and flavours at one’s disposal when it comes to creating one’s whisky.
You could argue that Ao has taken that same principal and just pushed it a little further, in that this is a whisky that is also not constrained by geography. It is not made from whisky that’s only produced in Japan – it also includes whisky produced elsewhere. And why not, if it turns out that mixing some Japanese whisky with whisky from Canada (for example) results in something really interesting and delicious?
This particular whisky is supposed to be a little different to some of Suntory’s other blended whiskies, which are often regarded as prizing harmony above all else. Ao is meant to showcase distinctive qualities from each of the countries that the whisky hails from, over and above a harmonious backdrop.
This whisky is supposed to be interesting then, with a range of aromas and flavours that develop and evolve – although they do also add, “depending on when and how you drink it”. Having it neat, versus having it feature in a cocktail will yield very different tasting experiences, and so it was hard to know exactly what one should make of this claim upfront.
Ao bears no age statement, is bottled at 43% ABV.
An initial wave of sweet spiciness, like candied ginger. Quite fresh and floral. The faintest hint of pine resin, with notes of pineapple, ripe green apples and pears. Gentle vanilla lurking in the background, alongside a distinctively earthy aroma.
This is a very enjoyable whisky. It has a certain delicacy to it, which feels very much like a hallmark of Japanese whisky – but there’s also a rich boldness to it, particularly on the palate, which makes me think more of a robust Scotch. And I found the whisky seemed richer every time I revisited it.
As there is a fair amount going on in terms of a range of aromas and flavours, this whisky certainly lends itself to slow sipping and contemplation. While it is certainly a complex whisky, I have remained a little undecided about whether or not it successfully delivers on its promises regarding showcasing a sheer breadth of evolving flavours from around the world.
Notably, there’s supposed to be a gentle hint of smoke in this whisky – I suppose on both the nose and palate – but any traces of smoke must be incredibly subtle. I must admit I began to question my sanity a little, as I have found myself unable to detect any smoky notes at all. It is possible, perhaps, that for me any smoke is simply overshadowed by other flavours.
All in all, it’s a good whisky, and one that I would be happy to sip on whenever I was offered some. And there is also something a little appealing about tasting what is surely a fairly unique whisky, given that it is one of a very few blends of whiskies from multiple countries.
