Whisky Focus - Suntory Whisky Toki Review

Review of Suntory Whisky Toki by Murray Cohen.

The Fall season seems to signal new whisky releases in Ontario. Here we have a whisky blend from Japan and the Suntory powerhouse, imported by Beam Suntory, Suntory Whisky Toki, 43% ABV., NAS. Suntory Whisky Toki is a blend of selected malt and grain whiskies from Suntory's three Japanese distilleries: Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita distilleries.

Previous blended expressions from Suntory have highlighted malt from Yamazaki as the key element, Toki highlights Hakushu malt aged in American oak and has balanced that with grain whisky from Chita distillery. The blend is finished by adding single malts from Yamazaki which have been aged in American and Spanish oak.

House of Suntory’s fourth master blender Shinji Fukuyo was the chief architect for Toki which incidentally means "time" in Japanese. Shinji Fukuyo joined the Suntory team in 1984 at the young age of 23. He became a member of the whisky blending department in 1992, rising through the ranks. He studied at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh for four years and then joined the Morrison Bowmore team in 1999, creating whiskies for Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan. He returned to his native land in 2006 as the director of the whisky blending department and in 2009 became chief blender for the whole of Suntory.

According to the distillery, "Whisky Toki features the quintessential characteristics of a Suntory Whisky blend: exquisite balance, harmony, and oneness".

This whisky blend is only available in North American markets, i.e., Canada and the USA. This Japanese whisky appears at a bargain price ($59.95) Canadian compared to the historically higher pricing of Japanese offerings. Japanese single malts have created a major finger print on the world whisky market and now Japanese blends are trying to make similar impact. Toki has been envisioned partially as a mix for cocktails or highball (with sparkling water and ice) but distiller information suggests it is also generating great interest in its own right and enjoyed "neat". Although it sees a Fall release in Ontario it is being called a summer dram.

Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:

Colour:  Sunlight Gold.

Nose:  A pineapple-banana hybrid freshens immediately and then enter the dragon fruit (Hylocereus species) denoting a pear-kiwi combination. The encompassing result is akin to Peter Pan conjuring a magic sweet table. There is a deft layering of “fruity-sweet” that adds to the whisky’s enjoyment.

Taste: Medium-bodied. The gentle yet broad nose transitions to quite a spicy interlude with some additional flecks of pepper. The sweetness is now submerged but still there. The influence of the grain from Chita has one standing at attention, taking it all in.

Finish: Relatively long. The Hakushu and Yamazaki malt contributions combine to ease the palate and some remnants of the early fruity sweetness splash back.

Comment: I was expecting a less substantial whisky considering its promotion for mix and highballs but am delighted that the Toki can stand on its own two feet. There are a lot of subtle changes going on here from nose to palate to finish. It’s an origami-like creation, delicate in some ways, carefully thought out and then made into reality. I recommend it.

Score 88/100

Unfortunately Toki is exclusive to the North American market but you will find a great selection of Suntory Japanese whisky available from specialist online whisky retailers such as Master of Malt
 

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