Suntory Ao World Whisky (70cl, 43%)

Suntory Ao is a blended whisky made with whiskies from five whisky-making countries, bottled at 43% in a 70cl bottle. Its name means blue, a reference to the seas that join those countries. Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo drew on Ardmore and Glen Garioch in Scotland, Cooley in Ireland, Jim Beam in the United States, Alberta in Canada, and Yamazaki and Hakushu in Japan. The bottle is pentagonal, one side for each region. The nose is deep vanilla with pineapple, creamy sweetness and lasting wood. The palate is smooth and sweet, then shows a faint smoke and cinnamon spice. The finish mixes sweetness and smoke with spice and wood.