Japanese Elegance Meets Scottish Whisky Excellence as Beam Suntory Takes ‘New Interpretation’ to Blending With Ardray Scotch

Ardray Blended Scotch Whisky launched from Beam Suntory as a snapshot of the terroirs of Scotland (Photo: Beam Suntory)

Beam Suntory has launched Ardray, a “new interpretation” of blended scotch whisky, Beverage Dynamics reported Monday. For Ardray, Beam Suntory sourced malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Lowlands and Islands of Scotland. Ardray has an ABV of 48% and is a limited release of under 2,000 cases slated to sell in London, Shanghai, Los Angeles and New York.

Ardray was created by Beam Suntory Chief Blender Calum Fraser and Suntory’s blending team. Beam Suntory owns notable whisky distilleries such as Bowmore, Laphroaig, Auchentosan and Ardmore distilleries in Scotland, and chose liquid from a “handful” of these properties for Ardray. Whiskies were also selected from Beam Suntory’s partner, Edrington, which owns The Macallan, Glenrothes and Highland Park.

The team tasted almost 200 whisky combinations before settling on the final blend.

Ardray hosts a distinctive Japanese influence. The style of the whisky was inspired by historic blends from The House of Suntory and its visionary founder, Shinjiro Torii. Suntory acquired Beam in 2014.

The name Ardray means “towards the light” and reflects the leadership of Torii coupled with the distillery team’s continuous desire to strive for more, according to the brand.

Torii founded Yamazaki Distillery, the first malt whisky producer in Japan, in 1923. The Ardray team worked to yield a whisky with a subtle elegance they believe he would have approved of.

“Ardray promises a rich and complex taste, with a distinctive harmony of flavors: a mild, gently floral, and citrusy fruitiness, with a vanilla custard creaminess and a rich, silky mouthfeel and lengthy aftertaste that is unmatched,” Frasier said, per Beverage Dynamics.

Ardray Blended Scotch Tasting Notes, Via Beam Suntory

Aroma: Balanced with floral and herbaceous qualities.

Palate: Honey-smooth mouthfeel.

Finish: Long-lasting.

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