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 is their product, and the result of their blending abilities and their creative vision.
Until very recently, Japan’s regulations allowed whisky producers to add whisky from other countries into what could be called “Blended Japanese Whisky”. While this practice wasn’t kept a secret, it was also not always obvious to consumers who could easily assume that, without reading some fine print on the packaging, the whisky they were buying 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 were compliant.
For whiskies that include foreign spirit, many whisky-makers 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 both the box and the bottle that it is a “Suntory World Whisky”. They have also tried to be as clear as possible about where the whisky in the bottle actually 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 is the most plentiful (where the ingredient listed first is usually the one present in the largest quantity, while the ingredient at the end of the list is present in the smallest quantity).
According to Suntory’s website, the particular distilleries where their malt and grain whiskies are sourced 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 they feel a little wary of a whisky that is the result of blending together a range of whiskies from different countries across to the world. For those who are, it might be worth considering again the compelling idea behind making blended whisky or blended malts which a number of whisky blenders (or whisky-makers) have done their best to champion. The idea is simply that one is less limited and constrained when it comes to making whisky when you’re not restricted to making use of the whisky that is produced at just one distillery. There is the potential, at least, to create something really great by blending together what two (or more) magnificent distilleries have to offer. With a broader range of whisky to play around with one 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 with Ao, Suntory has taken that same principal and just pushed it a little further. This is a whisky that is additionally not constrained by geography. And why not, if it turns out that mixing some Japanese whisky with whisky from Canada and Ireland (for example) results in something really interesting and delicious?
Ao bears no age statement, is bottled at 43% ABV, and available in my area for around $110 (which is just marginally more expensive than a bottle of Glen Scotia’s Victoriana). It is possible that the fairly steep price may reflect additional costs of sourcing and blending whiskies from multiple countries when compared to single-origin whiskies, but I am not certain about this.
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. According to Suntory, Ao is also meant to showcase, in an evolving manner, the distinctive qualities of the sort of whisky that is produced from each one of the five source countries. This whisky ought to be interesting, then – 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 is hard to know exactly what one should make of this claim upfront.
Ao – Review
Colour: Warm gold.
On the nose: 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 dominates in the background, alongside a distinctively earthy aroma.
In the mouth: Sweet honey and vanilla. Dark raisins and prunes. There’s a very rich and warming woody note. Perhaps some marzipan intermingling with a hint of cinnamon and white pepper. In spite of being quite robust, it also manages to have a smooth and rounded feel to it. A slightly spicy warmth lingers for some time.
Just the tiniest drop of water transformed the texture of the whisky into something soft and buttery, and accentuated the peppery warmth of the finish.
Conclusion:
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 reminds me more of a robust Scotch. I also found that 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. I remain a little undecided, however, about whether or not it successfully delivers on its promise of showcasing the sheer breadth of evolving flavours from around the world… although shortcomings in this regard may belong to myself rather than the whisky.
Notably, there’s supposed to be a gentle hint of smoke in this whisky – but any smoky notes must be incredibly subtle, as I have found myself unable to detect any traces of smoke. It is possible, perhaps, that for me any very gentle smoky notes are simply eclipsed by other flavours or aromas.
All in all, it’s a good whisky, and one that I would be happy to sip on whenever I am offered some. 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 that is comprised of whiskies from multiple countries.
