After the successful launch of The House of Suntory portfolio in December 2019, Beam Suntory is expanding its footprint in India with the launch of Toki™, a modern and contemporary Japanese blended whisky.
It was back in 1920s that the first commercial Whisky was produced in Japan, in Kyoto region to be more specific. And, it was much later, in the year 2019 the House of Suntory launched its portfolio in India. In fact there is a story behind the emergence of Suntory.
The Back Story
When Japan’s first Whisky maker Shinjiro Torii founded a company and hired one Mr Masataka Taketsuru to create the world’s first Japanese whisky, it turned too peaty and Scotch like
When Japan’s first Whisky maker Shinjiro Torii founded a company and hired one Mr Masataka Taketsuru to create the world’s first Japanese whisky, it turned too peaty and Scotch like. Why not, the Master studied in Scotland, and used similar procedure ny distilling twice using pot stills. Many distilleries even use malted and sometimes peated barley imported from Scotland. But since then the Whisky maker learnt to make it smoother with more finesse. Today the House of Suntory has three distilleries across Japan, Yamazaki Distillery, Hakushu Distillery, Chita Distillery — each one distinct, and each contributing a character to the blends that were to come in the future.
Suntory in India
The House of Suntory portfolio in India includes two single malt whiskies: Yamazaki – the pioneer of Japanese Single Malts, multi-layered, yet simple, and an example of what a Japanese Whisky is all about – light, simple, fruity and floral; Hakushu –fresh, and delicately smoky; a single grain whisky: Chita – sublimely smooth, versatile and complex; and two blends: the noble blend, Hibiki – Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky, and recently it expanded its footprint with Toki .
The making of ‘Toki’ goes back to Mr. Shinji Fukuyo, the fourth Chief Blender at Suntory, who was inspired to reimagine the role of these grain whiskies to produce an artful blend that is a balance of subtlety and refinement.
WHAT GOES ON INTO THE MAKING
Shinji Fukuyo, explains, “Toki is a blended Japanese whisky – a blend of grains from our Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries, resulting in a delicate balance of mouth-watering flavours that are unique in character and boldly innovative. The Yamazaki American white oak cask malt whisky reinforces the sweetness of the Chita heavy-type grain with peach and custard aromas. By including a second Yamazaki malt – the Yamazaki Spanish oak cask malt whisky – the woody and bittersweet notes are accentuated, adding to the smooth finish. This careful combination produces a vivid, well-balanced blend that is modern, but which draws on the rich legacy of House of Suntory craftsmanship.”
Priced At:
INR 3960/- in Delhi, INR 4150/- in Goa, INR 5120/- in Tamil Nadu and INR 6845/- in Karnataka for a 700ml bottle, Toki will be available across all major markets in India between October and December 2020.
