The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2017

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may 2017  /  the tasting panel  /  85 O n a recent trip to Los Angeles, House of Suntory's Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo, walked a small group of whisky enthusiasts through Suntory Whisky Toki, which blends whiskies from three of Suntory's distilleries—Hakushu Distillery, Yamazaki Distillery and Chita Distillery—into one refined offering with subtle complexity and versatility in refreshing cocktails. Fukuyo joined Suntory in 1984 after graduating with a degree in agricultural chemistry from Nagoya University. He spent several years in Edinburgh, Scotland, studying whisky making and working at Morrison Bowmore Distillers. Once back in Japan, it didn't take long for him to be named the fourth Chief Blender in Suntory's history. He's the man behind Yamazaki 12 Year Old, Yamazaki 18 Year Old, Yamazaki 50 Years Old, Yamazaki 1984 and Hakusku 12 Year Old. It's safe to say that Fukuyo knows how to produce successful and respected whiskies. In order to best understand Toki, the attendees of the tasting enjoyed three components of the whisky. Fukuyo began with the lightest whiskey, a fresh whisky from Hakushu, aged in American white oak barrels, sport- ing plenty of green apple notes (the origin of which, we learned, is a company secret). The sophisticated interplay between this whisky and the whisky originat- ing from the Chita distillery—a heavier grain whisky— endows Toki with a velvety mouthfeel. Bringing in a touch of sweetness along with nutti- ness and hints of biscuit, Fukuyo adds a whisky from Yamazaki, aged in American white casks, to the blend, which was the second element the group tasted. The third sipper—another Yamazaki whisky, aged in Sherry oak casks— greeted our palates with espresso, dried figs, wood and dark chocolate. The end result, Toki, has layers of citrus, pear and apple, followed by touches of honey, nuts and vanilla and ends with a dash of spice and a dash of sweetness. When Fukuyo undertook this project, he wanted to merge the past and future—which explains the name: Toki means "time will tell." He sought to create a whisky that followed its heritage into a modern space and in accordance with modern palates. By utilizing the grain-based Chita whisky as the main component of Toki, he diverted from Suntory's tradition of highlighting malt-based whiskies. He also called attention to how well two seemingly dissimilar whiskies—the Chita and Hakushu—can work together in the bottle. Furthermore, Fukuyo wanted to develop a whisky that would better introduce Americans to Japan's favorite cock- tail: the Highball. This simple cocktail requires the whisky to shine on its own, making the depth and refinement of Toki an ideal choice for this libation. Because this was his first time back in the U.S. since the North American–exclusive launch of Suntory Whisky Toki last July, it was also the first time Fukuyo could appreciate his whisky in a Highball at a bar—"the way I had envisioned," he noted. While we may not have the power to see into the future, one could guess upon first sip that time will look favorably on Suntory Whisky Toki, and American consumers discover a whole new world with a Toki Highball. Suntory Spirits Limited's Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo, tasted a small group of whisky enthusiasts through Suntory Whisky Toki. Shinji Fukuyo walked the guests of the Los Angeles event through a decon- structed tasting of Suntory Whisky Toki. Suntory Whisky Toki™ Japanese Whisky, 43% Alc./Vol. ©2017 Beam Suntory Import Co., Deerfield, IL.

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