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The new premium blend whiskey: Suntory Whiskey Toki – I recently had the opportunity to try Beam Suntory's new premium blended whisky, "Suntory Whisky Toki," at a press event. It will be available in Germany from June 2018. I was fortunate enough to attend the official launch of the new premium blend Toki and even get a sneak peek.

The new premium blend whiskey: Suntory Whiskey Toki

There could hardly have been a better place to launch the new Suntory Whisky Toki than the Japanese restaurant Koi at Wittelsbacher Platz. In an Asian-inspired setting, guests were greeted upon arrival with exciting welcome drinks: a "Toki Highball" made with Toki Whisky, soda, ice, and grapefruit. The premium blended Whisky Toki skillfully combines Japanese tradition with the necessary modernity that one hopes for when first tasting it. For the new Toki Whisky (43% ABV), elements from all three Suntory distilleries (Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita) were combined to create a unique blend. During a roughly 30-minute tasting at the Koi Restaurant – conducted by Global Brand Ambassador Mike Miyamoto – I experienced the whisky neat for the first time: vibrant in character, innovative, and timeless in taste.

The new premium blend: Suntory Whiskey Toki

Toki combines carefully selected whiskies from the three renowned Suntory distilleries mentioned above. Created according to Suntory's "Art of Blending," it exhibits all the typical characteristics that an experienced Suntory blend connoisseur expects: exquisite balance, harmony, and a cohesive whole. In all Suntory blends—and thus also in Toki—Yamazaki single malts are used as the most important component. In Toki, however, one of the two pillars of the blend is the single malt "Hakushu American White Oak Cask," whose hallmarks are freshness, smoothness, and notes of green apple. The second pillar is "Chita"—a full-bodied grain whisky with a clean taste and sweet vanilla notes. The two whiskies complement each other perfectly, transcending the traditional relationship between malt and grain. These two whiskies not only serve as the foundation for the malt but also as the driving force behind the flavor of the new premium blended whisky, Toki. Very exciting!

Suntory Toki Whisky Suntory_Toki_Highball Machine

Head to the bar and try Toki.

On the palate, Hakushu and Chita Toki meld together with a silky smoothness. Their vibrant character is clearly evident. The addition of two Yamazaki single malts lends the new premium blended whisky, Toki, even greater depth and complexity. The "Yamazaki American White Oak Cask" blends the Hakushu and Chita components, while simultaneously providing a well-rounded flavor and enhancing the sweetness of the rich Chita with its peach and vanilla notes. The second single malt, the "Yamazaki Spanish Oak Cask," lends the blend a woody and bittersweet aroma. The overall result in the glass: A varied, balanced, and silky blend with a subtle sweet and spicy finish that left me wanting more even during the tasting. I'll definitely be looking into cocktails, highballs, and other drinks paired with the new premium blended whisky, Toki.

Suntory Toki Whisky Toki Packshot Highball

The Toki Highball

Toki behind the counter

Thanks to its silky-smooth texture, Toki can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, as a highball, or in other cocktails. The highball (welcome drink) is sure to please anyone who enjoys modern Japanese drinking. It's an elegant mix of whisky and soda water, combined with plenty of ice. (It's no wonder it was a clear favorite among Japanese whisky drinkers back in the 1950s.) Incidentally, whisky has also been enjoyed as a simple and stylish cocktail in Japan for almost 70 years.

What I found exciting was that the Toki Highball also pairs very well with Japanese cuisine. Small samples were served during the event. Among the dishes available to try were "Maguro No Tataki" (tuna tataki, shimichi, ponzu, and cilantro), "Yaki Tarabagani" (grilled king crab, kumquat-papaya ragout, caramelized rhubarb, sudachi, and dill), as well as "Turi No Tebasaki Age" (spicy chicken wings) and "Kushi Yaki" (chicken, bell peppers, miso beef steak, white onion, corn on the cob, and matcha tea). My evening Toki cocktail menu also included two other cocktails, which are sometimes ideally suited to Asian or Japanese dishes: The „Time Flies“ with Toki whisky, raspberry shrub, azuki, lime, soy sauce, falernum and egg white, and number 2, the „San“ with Toki whisky, yuzu, celegio, lychee jam and sansho pepper.

One of the many delicacies from the KOI

Japanese Whisky – Origin and Background

The demand for Japanese whiskies is growing steadily. Beam Suntory, with its diverse range of Japanese whiskies, is a major contributor to this growth. With the introduction of the new premium blend Toki, the whisky market is experiencing further expansion, while Suntory is simultaneously generating new trends with Toki. Unlike typical whiskies, Toki is not meant to be enjoyed neat, but rather impresses with its greater mixability and the new highball trend. For this new premium blend, the company draws on Japan's image, full of contrasts and paradoxes. Origin and tradition play a significant role, yet the focus is always on the future. It's a combination of time-honored customs and new impulses that Japan lives and breathes, and which is tangible and perceptible to the Toki drinker when enjoying the whisky. The new Toki bottling fully embraces this philosophy, and the name of the premium blend whisky, which translates to "time," is no coincidence. The blend thus unites past, present, and future, embracing Japanese enjoyment with a celebration of culture and a necessary touch of modernity.

A cocktail creation with Suntory whisky

Did you know?
I also found it interesting what else was said about whisky during the tasting. Did you know, for example, that since 2014, sales generated exclusively from Japanese whisky have more than quadrupled? Today, Suntory plays a key role in reintroducing whisky and the drinks it's paired with, such as the highball, to a new generation of whisky drinkers. It was a pleasure for me to be part of the first step on this path with the Toki launch. That's why I'm sharing this with you as well. Recipe to imitate the Toki Highball:

Fill a large glass to the brim with ice, add 2 cl of whisky, and stir. Add a little more ice around the rim of the glass. Now pour 6 cl of chilled mineral water down the side of the glass – this helps retain the carbonation and keeps the ice frozen longer. Garnish with a slice of lemon or grapefruit and enjoy. Toki Whisky will be available in stores from June 2018 for €29.99. Then you can form your own opinion. (But be sure to pair it with some Japanese food, or try the whisky as a mixed drink in the form of a highball, or simply as an accompaniment to food.)

+++ This article was created in cooperation with Beam Suntory. Thank you! +++

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Premium Blend Whiskey: Suntory Whiskey Toki
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