Suntory Red, Japanese Blended Whiskey 39%/ 0.64l

Suntory Red debuted in March 1964. Just a month earlier, Nikka Distilling Company had introduced its Hi whisky, which the producer intended to conquer the market.

Both Suntory Red and Nikka Hi were so-called 2nd grade whiskies (i.e. second-tier whiskies), and both retailed for 500 yen. 2nd grade whiskies were blended for the local market with alcohol distilled from grain or sugar molasses and were usually bottled at 37% abv. We don't know the original formula for Suntory Red, but it certainly contained Yamazaki whisky (the distillery has been operating since 1923), and two more distilleries, Suntory, Hakushu and Chita, began distilling in 1973, and we can assume that their distillates entered the blend a dozen or so months later.

Nose : mild, roasted grain, vanilla, honey, a touch of white pepper and ginger, damp hay and straw and oak shavings.

Taste: fruity and grassy, ​​apples, oranges, grapefruits, banana bread, a hint of pepper and lemongrass and a subtle bitterness of oak.

Finish: medium long, fruity and spicy, with notes of citrus, vanilla, a mixture of spices and oak.