Single Malt, reimagined. Born of the unique culture, climate and abundant resources of the Northwest, this elevated American original demonstrates our craftsmanship and creativity. Our distinct, rich, and brazen American Single Malt — the pinnacle of whiskey. Created from locally malted barley, brewed with ale yeast for exceptional flavor, and matured to perfection in new, lightly charred American Oak barrels right here in Oregon, where our hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters are the ideal environment to raise a world class whiskey.
What Gary Says
Nose: Barley malt, vanilla crème brûlée fresh from the oven, allspice, butterscotch, banana, apricot and walnuts. Palate: Rich mouthfeel, fruity with pears, peaches and bananas, cinnamon, honey, chili spice gives way to butterscotch and malted milk chocolate. Finish: Moderately long and damp, with honey and subtle spice notes. Comments: A nice dram that runs the gambit from fruity to spicy. Quite different from a ‘single malt’ Scotch for more reasons than I’ll try to list here. The more I tried this, the more I liked it (and I don’t mean in a single sitting). Initially I was less impressed, but the more time I spent with it – found it sneakily complex. Now the price point makes it tough, as there are plenty of whiskies at this price point I enjoy much more – but I’d look at it like being an early adopter of sorts. Part of the challenge is that there isn’t a huge distiller doing single malt at scale, so when you have smaller distilleries you’ll have more expensive whiskey. I haven’t bought much American single malt, but can see that changing in the future.
Uncle Nearest 1856 is a blend of premium aged whiskies between 8 and 14 years old. It has a caramel color with a beautiful deep golden hue. On the nose, baled hay and pumpkin seeds with subtle notes of ripe stone fruit and caramel corn. Bold and spicy upfront then mellows with sweet caramel and maple, like biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. The finish is long and rich. It lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate with notes of vanilla after the spice dissipates.
APPEARANCE: Light caramel, straw/hay, beautiful deep golden hue NOSE: Bale of hay, dried grass, stone fruit notes of ripe peach and apricot, caramel corn and sweet maple. PALATE: Spicy caramel up front with the proof, hints of maple then mellows with dried fruit and floral notes. Sweetness and spice reminiscent of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies. FINISH: Long and rich finish, lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate, notes of vanilla.
What Gary Says
Nose: Sweet vanilla wafers, light caramel, oak, vitamins, subtle spice notes and maple candies. Palate: Caramel corn, vanilla, honey, bit of pepper, with a nutty minerality, nutmeg, subtle oak with a hint of clove. Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with honey, oak and pepper. Comments: An enjoyable pour, where the Dickel house style notes are present throughout. The corn notes left the impression that this was younger than it is. Water isn’t needed, but a bit does tamp the pepper spice (which wasn’t a lot to start with) and brighten, bringing notes of fruit to the nose.
Blended Canadian Whisky Distilled and Blended under the supervision of the Canadian Government
What Gary Says
Nose: Acetone, grainy with a hint of maple. Palate: Thin with vanilla. Finish: Short with a chemical aftertaste. Comments: This is the lower end (if one can imagine such a thing) of the Ellington Reserve 8 Year. It is what I imagine taking a cheap vodka and dropping a couple of drops of vanilla extract along with nail polish remover might be like. Wouldn’t even use to mix
Suntory World Whisky Ao A Blend of Five World Whiskies
43% ABV $71 Website We would like to thank Suntory and Savona Communications for sending us a sample to review.
What the Blender Says
Beam Suntory Announces Global Launch of World Blended Whisky, Suntory World Whisky ‘Ao’ Exclusive for Global Travelers Beam Suntory has announced the launch of the world blended whisky, Suntory World Whisky ‘Ao’, in global travel retail.
The whisky, which will be available in 16 markets, is the first innovative whisky launch in global travel retail since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Blended using whisky from five of the most renowned distilleries in Japan, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US, ‘Ao’, meaning blue, is named after the ocean that connects these five distilleries together in harmony.
The one-of-a-kind whisky is a tribute to the liquids’ long history, perfectly capturing the heathery flavor of Ardmore and Glen Garioch, the complexity of Cooley, the smoothness of Alberta, the vibrance of Jim Beam and the subtlety of Yamazaki and Hakushu. With notes of vanilla, tropical fruit and cinnamon, it is the distinctive climate, fermentation and distillation processes in each whisky-making region that give the whisky its unique taste.
Fifth generation Suntory chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo, carefully selected the liquids used based-on Suntory’s globally recognised Monozukuri craftsmanship – a relentless pursuit of perfection, meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality. Building on Suntory’s long history of craftsmanship, this innovative, multi-faceted, premium blended whisky embodies the spirit of Suntory.
Shinji Fukuyo said: “Ao is an exceptional whisky which, through the art of Suntory blending, allows you to enjoy the unique characteristics of each of the five major whisky-making regions.”
Sho Semba, Beam Suntory Inc. President, Japan & China, said: “We are very excited about the launch of this new whisky. Suntory World Whisky ‘Ao’ brings together the world’s most highly regarded whisky regions to produce this unique and premium quality blend.In recent years we’ve seen a huge increase in demand from customers across the world who want to experience Japanese whisky. We are confident that whisky enthusiasts will enjoy the unique flavor created by this unique Japanese blended whisky, which originates from around the world.”
Ed Stening, Global Head of Travel Retail Marketing at Beam Suntory International, said: “This is a truly innovative whisky that blends five very different distilleries’ greatest assets and unique crafts. We couldn’t be more excited to share ‘Ao’ with our customers and bring some exciting innovation to the global travel retail world.”
Suntory World Whisky ‘Ao’ is a unique addition to Suntory’s growing spirits portfolio. The Suntory whisky range includes Yamazaki and Hakushu, the pioneer of Japanese Single Malts, and Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky, Hibiki.
Available Markets (Global Travel Retail only): United States | Canada | France | Germany | Ireland | UK | Netherlands | Dubai | Turkey | India | Australia | China | Hong Kong | Singapore | Taiwan | South Korea
Tasting notes: Colour: Amber Nose: Profound vanilla, pineapple-like fruitiness on top, a creamy sweetness and depth with a lingering woody aroma Palate: Smooth and sweet mouthfeel, gradually followed with smokiness and cinnamon-like spiciness Finish: Sweet and smoky, spicy and woody, a many-layered complexity
What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla, peaches, kiwi, vegetal note (cooked bell pepper), banana, fresh oregano and malt. Palate: Smooth and sweet malt with cinnamon, hint of fruit, smoky vegetal notes. Finish: Moderately long, smoky with pepper and savory herbs. Comments: Unique with the vegetal notes, which for that reason merits a ‘Stands Out’. A bit of an odd pour; interesting concept that isn’t objectionable, but muddled. I’m a fan of the various types of whisk(e)y involved, but combined none of them stand out.
Kamiki Maltage Whisky Blended Malt Whisky Finished in Cedar Casks
48% ABV $79 Website We would like to thank Kamiki Whisky for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says
KAMIKI WHISKY | Perfectly balanced with heather honey, sweet caramel, Japanese plum, balanced oak, peat and toffee with hints of sandalwood and green tea. Non chill-filtered at 48% alcohol to keep its natural flavors at maximum. Blended at its peak flavor, rather than a predetermined ratio. As a result, each batch is unique and limited with stocks.
OUR WHISKY | We wanted to celebrate the timeless alcohol tradition of the region by blending a Japanese style whisky that harmonizes Japanese nature and artisanship.
OUR BLEND | We choose rare Japanese malt whiskies, finest malt whiskies from the rest of the world and fuse this unique blend with the highest quality pure spring water from Japan.
OUR UNIQUE SECOND MATURATION | Yoshino Sugi, most commonly known in English as the “Japanese Cedar” is indigenous to Japan. For centuries it is being used to make temples. Japanese Cedar is also known for its pleasant fragrance and soft texture that help calm the mind and the body.
OUR CITY | Our story takes place in a truly ancient land, one of spiritual and carnal harmony, in the temples of Nara in Japan. The ancient capital of Japan, Nara holds many temples from the 8th century that imperturbably give the holy capital its power.
OUR SHRINE | Ōmiwa Shrine in Nara is one of Japan’s oldest extant Shinto shrines. It is a tutelary shrine of the Japanese alcohol producers. Most well-known alcohol producer families are in Nara and these families have a centuries-old tradition of producing alcohol for Ōmiwa. The alcohol produced by these families is served as blessings at Shinto temples.
OUR NAME | The Ōmiwa Shrine lies at the foot of Mount Miwa, a holy mountain guarded by the shrine. Mount Miwa has many legends, and has been worshiped from ancient times as a sacred Mountain of the God. Inspired by beautiful breezes coming from the Mountain of the God, we named our whisky KAMIKI whereby “KAMI” means “GOD” and “IKI” means “BREATH”.
KAMIKI IS THE “THE FIRST WHISKY BRAND IN THE WORLD WITH JAPANESE CEDAR CASK FINISH” | Yoshino Sugi is considered to be the best wood for making local drink casks because of its scented refreshing flavor and wooden aroma. Our blend is rested for a second time in Yoshino Sugi casks to capture a perfectly smooth taste, a scent of sandalwood on the nose and a zest of green tea in the finish. This second maturation makes our whisky unique.
What Gary Says
Nose: Green tea, cedar, buttered yeast rolls, honey, sandalwood and heather. Palate: Sweet and thick, plum, green tea, nutty toffee, a hint of banana nut bread. Finish: Moderately long, slightly drying with pepper and green tea. Comments: The palate on this reminds me a bit of plum wine (not that they’d be confused for one another, but definitely a similar sweetness). Another first for me – cedar casks, which definitely lent some lovely aromatics and complexity. This sample was from Batch No 002 (2019.05), and the label indicates it contains caramel color and is non-chill filtered. I’m not a fan of artificial coloring in whisk(e)y, but appreciate that it is called out on the label. Of the 5 Japanese whiskies I reviewed this season, this was by far my favorite – and I’d consider it a Must Try for enthusiasts looking for unique and different experiences. Again, appreciate the higher ABV and non-chill filtration. One package offering includes a masu cup and eye mask, which they recommend you to pour Kamiki in the cup (which to someone not familiar looks like a small wooden box), cover your eyes with the mask, breath deeply and imagine yourself in a cedar forest in Japan before you taste the whisky slowly and mindfully. I tried this, and the masu cup had a significant impact on the nosing experience – and really did bring out the cedar and other forest aromas. Sipping from the square cup wasn’t as nice (you need to point a corner towards your mouth, or learn as I did that your mouth may not be as wide as the opening!) More importantly, I didn’t get a lot of difference on the palate, but the nosing experience was night and day.
