Suntory 21 Years Old

This is a blended malt at twenty one years, a vatting of malt whisky from Suntory's Yamazaki distillery in Osaka and its forest distillery at Hakushu in Yamanashi, carrying no grain in the recipe. Bottled in 2001, it joins the ripe orchard fruit and rounded sweetness of Yamazaki to the fresh, green, herbal malt of Hakushu, an expression of Suntory's two malt sites rather than the character of either one alone.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon oak over more than two decades, it shows the depth that long ageing brings to Japanese malt, honeyed orchard fruit and vanilla over gentle baking spice, with the sandalwood and incense signature Suntory draws from Japanese oak threading the finish. The years lend a settled, layered quality and a soft, integrated texture. At 43% it stays composed and unhurried, a mature vatting that reflects the balance Suntory prizes across its malt stocks.