Suntory Ao World Whisky (75cl, 43%)

Suntory Ao is a world blended whisky, bottled at 43% ABV and assembled in Japan by Suntory chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. It combines whiskies from seven distilleries across five countries: Ardmore and Glen Garioch in Scotland, Cooley in Ireland, Alberta Distillers in Canada, Jim Beam in the United States, and Yamazaki and Hakushu in Japan. Each region's character is meant to surface distinctly. Ao means blue in Japanese, and the five-sided bottle stands for the five whisky nations. The nose is vanilla and pineapple with creamy sweetness, orange peel, banana and woody depth, with a little smoke developing. The palate is smooth and sweet, with tropical fruit, caramel, cinnamon, soft apple and mild peat. The finish is moderately long, with woody vanilla, gentle smoke and spice.