Suntory Excellence

Suntory Excellence is a blended malt rather than a single malt, a vatting of malt whisky from the Yamazaki distillery in Osaka and the forest distillery at Hakushu in Yamanashi, carrying no grain whisky. It joins Yamazaki's orchard fruit and rounded sweetness to Hakushu's fresh, green, herbal lift, presenting the character of Suntory's two malt distilleries together rather than a single site, in the balanced idiom the company has long favoured.

Matured in Ex-Bourbon oak, it leads with honey and ripe orchard fruit, vanilla and a gentle sweetness, with the soft sandalwood and incense note Suntory coaxes from Japanese oak threading the finish. The pairing of the two malts gives both orchard fruit and a quiet herbal freshness, held in poise. At 43% it stays smooth and rounded, an approachable blended malt that reflects Suntory's preference for harmony and layered balance over sheer weight.