Suntory AO Japanese Whisky
Suntory AO Japanese Whisky is Suntory's world tour in a bottle — an 86-proof (43% ABV) world whisky in a 700mL five-sided bottle, blended by chief blender Shinji Fukuyo from the company's own distilleries across the five great whisky regions: Japan, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, and Canada. "Ao" (碧) is Japanese for blue — the color of the oceans connecting those five whisky lands — and the bottle's compass-and-wave design says the rest. Launched for global travel retail in October 2020. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 86 proof (43% ABV) — 700mL
- Style: world whisky — blend of Japanese, Scotch, Irish, American & Canadian whiskies
- Blender: Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory chief blender
- Age: no age statement
- Presentation: five-sided bottle symbolizing the five whisky regions
Five Countries, One Blender
Most "Japanese whisky" never leaves Japan; AO starts there and keeps going. Fukuyo drew on Beam Suntory's distillery network on five continents' worth of whisky tradition — Japanese precision, Scotch smoke, Irish smoothness, American sweetness, Canadian lightness — and blended them into something that belongs to no single country. It's a genuinely new category proposition from the world's most decorated whisky maker, and the five-sided bottle makes the concept literal. Note the honest labeling: despite the "Japanese Whisky" name on the store listing, this is a five-country world blend, and the copy treats it as one. Explore more Japanese whisky or browse everything from Suntory at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
A smoky, evolving nose — sweet grains to malt, young bourbon, a trace of smoke. The palate moves from faint citrus, vanilla, and tea biscuit through wood spice to a malty, smoky finish with fruit, nut, and chocolate on the aftertaste.
How to Enjoy
Neat to follow the five-country arc, or with a splash of water to separate the smoke from the fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suntory AO really Japanese whisky?
Not exactly — it's a world whisky blending Beam Suntory distillates from Japan, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, and Canada. "Ao" (碧) means blue, for the oceans between them.
Who blends it?
Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory's chief blender.
Why is the bottle five-sided?
The five sides symbolize the five whisky-producing regions in the blend.
Five whisky nations in one striking bottle — order Suntory AO from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.