No.9134   2005. 5. 24

Three Suntory Whiskies Earn Gold at British Contest
Outstanding Performance at 10th International Spirits Challenge is Suntory's Third Consecutive

“Suntory Whisky Hibiki 21 Years Old,” “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki Sherry Wood 1986” and “Suntory Single Malt Whisky Vintage Malt 1983 <Yamazaki Distillery>” each won gold medals at the 10th International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2005 in the U.K.

Suntory whiskies have now earned awards at this prestigious international competition for three consecutive years, following the gold medal won by “Yamazaki 12 Years Old” in 2003 and a trophy for “Hibiki 30 Years Old” and gold for “Hibiki 21 Years Old” in 2004.

This year's competition gave Suntory the exceptional honor of three Gold Medals, the highest award, in the non-Scotch whisky division, all in the same year. Appraising “Hibiki 21 Years Old,” which has now won the Gold Medal two years in a row, the judges said that this whisky was the outcome of Suntory's excellent malt quality and superb blending technology for producing multi-layered flavor.

<About ISC 2005>
Sponsored by British spirits industry publisher “Quest Magazines and Events,” ISC is a premier competition for products from leading spirits manufacturers around the world and is closely followed by industry insiders. This year's event drew nearly 600 entries in divisions for Scotch whisky, non-Scotch whisky, brandy, rum, white spirits and liqueur.

A panel of 12 master blenders, chief blenders and master distillers from distilleries in Scotland and beyond evaluate all whisky entries physically and award prizes to those that the judges unanimously agree to be the best. The results attract a great deal of interest because the whisky-making professionals make very strict appraisals of quality using their sophisticated sense of taste and smell. With one of the world's largest selections of malts and leading blending technology, Suntory produces high quality whiskies with complex tastes that have won the attention of competition judges in recent years. This year's International Spirits Competition attracted about 300 entries in the Scotch and non-Scotch whiskey divisions, each of which was appraised for taste and smell in blind taste tests over the course of four days before winners were determined.

<Suntory's prize-winning products>
•Hibiki 21 Years Old
Malt whiskies are carefully selected that are at least 21 years old and feature the malt aged at the Yamazaki Distillery for 22 years in white oak casks. Grain whiskies of at least 21 years age are similarly selected discriminately. Suntory's blending expertise and rich selection of unblended whiskies combine in a refined 21-year old symphony for the sophisticated whisky drinker.
Hibiki 21 Years Old offers a very fruity, sweet flavor along with a mature nose reminiscent of flowers. It is smooth to the tongue, and after its extended aging period of 21 years, has a dignified and refined flavor with a deep aftertaste.
With this year's Gold Medal, ISC has honored Hibiki 21 Years Old for the second straight year.

•Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki Sherry Wood 1986
Distilled in October 1986 in straight-head stills at the Yamazaki Distillery, Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki Sherry Wood 1986 was put into second-fill Spanish oak sherry butt casks and matured in the No. 13 East block of Suntory's Omi aging cellar overlooking Lake Biwa in the distance. Of this stock, only 10 casks were selected for vatting, ending in a limited run of just 3,600 bottles.
A fruity, aromatically sweet smell rises to the senses, complemented by a thick woodiness. The flavor is thick and has a heavy, powerful appeal. The aftertaste is pleasant and the smell continues to linger.

•Suntory Single Malt Whisky Vintage Malt 1983 <Yamazaki Distillery>
The “Vintage Malt” series began selling in October 2004 in 16 varieties, giving customers the opportunity to enjoy the flavors of the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries from each distilling year from 1979 to 1994. This year's prize went to a product that was distilled in 1983, aging in sherry butt casks of white oak at Yamazaki Distillery. Only 373 bottles were produced. When drinking, the nose detects the fragrance of citrus fruits and small flowers, while the taste has the sweetness of pears, producing a fresh and dry flavor throughout the mouth. The sweet lingering taste fades refreshingly.

— Details —

▼ Name of competition
International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2005

▼ Location
London, England

▼Judging and announcement of results
April 25 - 28, 2005 Judging
May 12, 2005 Results announced on ISC web site

▼Gold Medal winning whiskies (volume, alcohol content, MSRP (not including consumption tax))
*Any prices given here do not prevent retail shops from setting their own shelf prices.

“Suntory Whisky Hibiki 21 Years Old”
700 ml; 43%; 20,000 yen

“Suntory Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki Sherry Wood 1986”
700 ml; 45%; 20,000 yen *Available in limited quantities

“Suntory Single Malt Whisky Vintage Malt 1983 <Yamazaki Distillery>”
700 ml; 56%; 30,000 yen *Available in limited quantities

▼ Suntory's whisky web site(Japanese Language only)
http://www.suntory.co.jp/whisky/

▽ Further information:
　Suntory Ltd.
　(Osaka) TEL: 06-6346-0835
　Dojimahama 2-1-40, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-8203, Japan
　(Tokyo) TEL: 03-5579-1150
　Daiba 2-3-3, Minato-ku, Tokyo 135-8631, Japan
　Suntory HP:http://www.suntory.co.jp/