Suntory Archives - Whisky a Day

Whiskies #480-483: Japanese Whisky Showdown

June 13, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whiskies #480-483: Japanese Whisky Showdown.

I love it when friends travel overseas and bring back a bucketload of booze. My good friends Adam and Maria recently trekked to Japan and kindly shared this haul when I visited them on the weekend. Given it’s often a challenge to get Adam to shout his mates a drink at the best of times, this was an offer I wasn’t going to pass up!

Whisky #480: Suntory Yamazaki Distillery Single Malt Whisky No. 323317. Japan. ABV: 40%.

Colour: Pale straw, light amber.

Nose: Oaky, cane wicker. Sharp, not sweet or creamy.

Palate: Initial impression is that it’s much sweeter than the nose suggests. A very thin mouthfeel on the palate. Sweet and lemony, the mid-palate gets the joy – like a bullet shooting down the centre of your tongue.

Finish: Very short and crisp; not mouth coating. A slight citrus tang as it fades.

Comments: Maria thought it was an entry level whisky, which given they’ve just come back from tasting some amazing whiskies at the Yamazaki distillery and at bars all over Japan (e.g. Hibiki 30 Year Old), it’s hardly a surprise that this one doesn’t quite excite. For Adam, after a few sips it was growing on him, “I could sit here and have half a dozen of them.”

Whisky #481: Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master’s Select Blended Japanese Whisky. Japan. ABV: 43%.

Colour: Pale caramel.

Nose: Hokey pokey ice cream.

Palate: Earthy caramel. Buttery toffee; a rich caramel that keeps building in intensity.

Finish: Honey on toast.

Comments: For me, this was a refreshing step up in flavour and sweetness. Nothing too outrageous going on here, just a dangerously drinkable pretty straightforward whisky with plenty of flavour but not much punch.

Whisky #482: The Nikka 12 Year Old Blended Whisky. Japan. ABV: 43%.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Roasted figs and panna cotta.

Palate: Sesame seed honey crisps. A bigger mouthfeel than the Hibiki. Adam comments that “it’s a bit sweeter, feels more solid.”

Finish: Slightly leathery, salty notes that emerge as the sweetness fades. Delicious, great balance too. Medium to long finish, blackcurrant lolly flavours – like a blackcurrant Soothers’ lozenge but without the menthol.

Comments: This was a step up again, a little more nuanced than the Hibiki. There’s a lot more going on here flavour-wise for you to sit back and enjoy.

Whisky #483: Kirin Fuji-Sanroku Tarujuku 50 Blended Japanese Whisky. Japan. ABV: 50%.

Colour: Dark amber; “an amber mist” according to Adam. Maybe his eyesight is just a bit foggy after the fourth whisky…

Nose: Adam picks up some vanilla cheesecake aromas – now he’s starting to get the hang of this whisky tasting caper! Well done mate. For me, it’s like opening a packet of Allen’s strawberries & cream lollies.

Palate: Caramel popcorn. Rich, oaty sweet notes – think brown sugar dissolved on a hot bowl of porridge.

Finish: A gentle, rich brown sugary fade. Chocolate biscuits as it fades.

Comments: For some, the prospect of a 50% ABV whisky can be a bit daunting – will it burn my throat? Will it be like accidentally having too much wasabi? Will I be able to taste anything? In the case of this drop, the Kirin Fuji-Sanroku Tarujuku 50 does none of these. It’s rich, syrupy and luscious – and definitely the standout whisky of this Japanese whisky showdown.

Whisky #405: Suntory Crest 12 Year Old Blended Whisky

April 2, 2016 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Suntory Crest 12 Year Old Blended Whisky. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Tokyo Bird, $22.

Colour: My good mate Damo (his dram with the ball of ice) described it as topaz. When asked if he would say a lustrous, sparkling topaz, his response was “Only if you blow bubbles in it.”

Nose: Buttery; caramelised figs, some creamy sherry notes. Very soft and velvety.

Palate: Burnt caramel, quite meaty. Savoury almost but counterbalanced with sweetness, like caramelised onions cooked on the BBQ with balsamic. Smooth entry, medium bodied.

Finish: A drying finish with gentle spice and cinnamon sugar; a long, slow gradual fade.

Comments: It’s Suntory time, and I like it! A lot more depth of character than other blends, particularly some Japanese blends. I’d be keen to get my hands on a bottle of this to add to the collection. It was my first time checking out Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills, very impressed with their range of Japanese whisky.

I’ll leave you with this gem, a Suntory Crest ad from 1992. If a whisky gets Sean Connery’s tick of approval, it must be decent…or perhaps the marketing budget had deep pockets. He doesn’t say a word, just a cock of the left eyebrow and a knowing head nod to your Doberman are all that’s required to indicate your enjoyment apparently. Gold.

Whisky #363: Suntory Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve Single Malt Japanese Whisky

December 31, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Suntory Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve Single Malt Japanese Whisky. Hokuto, Yamanashi, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Kings Cross Hotel, $10.50.

Colour: Light maple syrup.

Nose: Very light, a little floral. Somewhat ill-defined. My mate Heshy described it as like a bad rainbow over Bondi Beach. I have no idea what he’s banging on about there!

Palate: Light wafer biscuit. Slightly salty honeycomb. Soft hay-like flavours.

Finish: Short to medium finish.

Comments: Nothing outstanding. It’s ok, but fairly middling.

Whisky #276: Suntory Hibiki 21 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky

November 4, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Suntory Hibiki 21 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $120 (375mL bottle).

Colour: Rich, dark amber.

Nose: Very soft straw, caramel and toffee notes.

Palate: Very delicate; buttery toffee, vanilla, a hint of cane – super smooth.

Finish: Such a gentle fade, like a piece of silk lightly touching your skin.

Comments: Outstanding. A huge step up from both the Hibiki 12 and the Hibiki 17. I’m quite confident that I can name this as the best blend I’ve had so far this year, a shame it’s only a half-size bottle!

Whisky #254 – Suntory Royal Blended Whisky

September 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Suntory Royal Blended Whisky. Japan. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $7 (50mL miniature bottle).

Colour: Dark caramel.

Nose: Musty oak, a bit grassy. Some faint aromas that almost remind you like you’ve just opened a bag of plain corn chips.

Palate: Velvety smooth entry, it slithers its way around your palate. Very oily mouthfeel, quite a cooling sensation initially before the heat starts to build. Soft woody notes, a touch of sweetness.

Finish: Juicy, like chewing on a long fresh piece of grass.

Comments: It’s Suntory time, and I quite like this one actually. Wasn’t quite sure what to expect, particularly being a blend; ultimately very drinkable.

Whisky #147: Suntory Hibiki 12 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky

July 11, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Suntory Hibiki 12 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Old Faithful Bar & BBQ, $15.

Colour: Honied gold.

Nose: Not an overly powerful nose, perhaps unsurprising for a 12 year old blend. Subtle oak, honey & vanilla.

Palate: Smooth entry, mild flavour intensity. Subtle oak & sweetness again.

Finish: Short-medium.

Comments: It’s quite mild, a little too mild for my liking. It’s very drinkable, but just doesn’t have the depth or flavour complexity that I really like in a whisky. I prefer the Hibiki 17 year old which has more going for it flavour-wise, but even that’s a little too smooth and thin for me. If you’re after a good Japanese blend, I would recommend you try the Nikka From the Barrel instead, top drop.

Whisky #122 – Suntory Pure Malt 1991

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Suntory Pure Malt 1991. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $30.

Colour: Burnt orange colour. A little hard to tell accurately with the red lanterns lighting the room.

Nose: Quite woody, but not smoky. A touch of medicinal scent, also a hint of fresh flowers.

Palate: Reminds me of the taste of a the bamboo reed when I used to play the saxophone. Very smooth entry, surprisingly so. Not the big flavour and heat bomb that I was expecting from the nose. Plenty of wood.

Finish: Lots of complex woody flavours linger for ages, as does a moderately gentle heat & some sweet after notes like burnt buttery caramel flavours. Mainly at the front of the palate.

Comments: It has filtered through bamboo charcoal apparently, which imparts quite a unique flavour upon the whisky. Though having learnt this, it’s not as smoky as you might think.

Whisky #42: Suntory Hibiki 17 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky

March 4, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Suntory Hibiki 17 Year Old Blended Japanese Whisky. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Laneway Lounge, $20.

Colour: Pale gold. Shit this is getting hard to come up with new ways to describe shades of straw/gold/amber!

Nose: Hmmm, found it a little hard to describe the nose on this one. Ended up trying to come up with witty descriptions with my mate Tim who joined me on this tasting; we got sidetracked and finished a rather enjoyable dram without a) making suitable notes on the aromas, or b) coming up with anything suitably comical to make the cut onto this post.

Palate: Taste has a hint of dried apricots. And a hint of a taste of whisky.

Finish: Oily finish on the tongue, bit of heat.

Comments: Apparently there’s over 30 different single malts from Suntory’s three distilleries that went into this one. Not sure how you’d add 30 components of any drink or food and expect them to all have a significant influence on the final flavour. A nice drop, but a little bit one dimensional for my tastes.

Whisky #3: Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old

February 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day 4 Comments

Suntory Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt. Yamazaki, Kyoto, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $17.

Colour: Light golden / straw colour.

Nose: Sweet honey & maybe some floral notes?

Palate: Soft, smooth and kind of coats the mouth with a gentle film. Kinda like the after effect of smashing a jelly shot – you know you’ve imbibed alcohol but it doesn’t have that strong alcohol sensation.

Finish: not much burn, flavours don’t tend to linger long or create any lasting impression to have some more.

Comments: Decent flavours, but a little underwhelming, almost a bit watery. Still very drinkable though. Need to shift my next whisky tastings away from the sweet ones to get some more variety!