Ardray Blended Scotch Whisky
Way back in 1923, Shinjiro Torii the legendary founder of Suntory began a journey to make a Whisky that would be loved by the Japanese palate.
Today Ardray (together with whisky giants Beam Suntory) have taken a lead from Shinjiro passion, together with his love of Scotch Whisky blending them together. They say ‘A malt-rich Scotch Blend, where neither malts nor grains dominate, but rather, complement and elevate each other‘.
Ardray means “Towards the Light”. The story of the final Ardray blended Scotch Whisky is composed of three chapters. The Muse, The Artist and The Art.
The Muse. This represents the Scottish inspiration and Scotch flavour profiles.
The Artist. Goes back to the Suntory team back in Japan and their style of blended Scotch Whisky.
The Art. The final blend is a collaboration of Scottish inspiration and Suntory artistry.
Ardray has a couple of ways to enjoy this blended Scotch Whisky.
To taste, we recommend you serve your Ardray “Off the Rocks”
1. Using tongs, hold an ice ball above a tumbler, and slowly pour the Ardray across the ice, letting it gently cascade down into your glass.
2. In a mixing glass, gently stir the Ardray briefly with ice, before straining it into your favourite Whisky glass.
Let’s have a taste of this non-chill filtered Blended Scotch Whisky
Ardray Blended Scotch Whisky 2023 – 48% Alc/vol 70 cl
Colour…Thin-cut marmalade.
Nose…Light and fresh on the nose, fruit salad, leafy and herbal, lemon and orange oil, airy and light dusting of smoke.
Taste…Sweet citric and juicy, perfume from an open florist’s door, vanilla from American cream soda, morning pineapple juice, creamy and succulent with a breezy tropical twist, herbal elements complete the picture, the light peat smoke at the end is a welcome addition to the fruity notes detected at the start.
Finish…A long finish, vanilla sweetness and gentle herbs give a satisfying shimmer to the finish.
This very fine dram has an RRP of £60.00, but if you check online you could save yourself a couple of pounds.
I loved this premium blend and the story behind the creation.
Calum Fraser, Suntory’s Chief Blender for Scotch, commented,
“In creating Ardray, we have combined an exceptional selection of the very best Scotch Whisky to offer with the inspiring talent of Suntory’s blending team to create something new, refreshing and exciting. The time, care and attention to detail taken to source both malt and grain Whiskies from some of Scotland’s most noted distilleries has allowed us to explore hundreds of blends of Scotch malt and grain Whiskies to achieve Ardray’s optimum balance of multi-layered flavours. Driven by the desire to ensure the true beauty of this blend is greater than the sum of its parts. Ardray promises a rich and complex taste, with a distinctive harmony of flavours: a mild, gently floral, and citrusy fruitiness, with a vanilla custard creaminess and a rich, silky mouthfeel and lengthy aftertaste that is unmatched.”
This blend just might make it to The Whisky Boys tasting cabinet, it is too good not to share.
