Suntory Old Whisky Old Zodiac Series Year of the Ox

today I will have a closer look into this Whisky:

Suntory Old Whisky – Old Zodiac Series – Year of the Ox

I got this bottle from a friend for my birthday.

What are my expectations? Well, considering the color, ABV, and the fact that it is a Japanese Blend, I expect this Whisky to be very smooth with light fruity flavors. I am looking forward to try this one. But first give it some time in the glass to breath. In this case I will let it breath for at about 20-30 minutes.
During that time I will have it not covered.

Let’s see if it can surprise me and that hopefully in a positive way 🙂

Appearance:
Color: light golden color. Not very oily. The streaks on the glass are thin and flow down medium fast I would say.

Nose: 83/100 points
At the very first moment I get a medical alcoholic sting but that doesn’t last very long. Then a nice sweet note shows up but only for a short time. It changes then to notes from light yellow fruits, some citrus fruits, caramel and a bit of malt. After a while a very small piece of milk chocolate shows up garnished with a tiny portion of dried fruits. As all flavors in the nose those also stay only for a short time. Same happens with the oak flavors which show up at the end. All in all the flavors of the nose are quite short living, but repeat themself over and over again.

Taste: 82/100 points
Smooth start with fruity flavors. Yellow light fruits, some little dried fruits. Sweetness kicks in combined with toffee and some vanilla. Then some citrus fruits show up. A bit tart oaky notes appears but luckily not too tart. Very round, maybe a bit too round and not that exiting on the palate.

Finish: 81/100 points
very sweet start at the beginning. then changing in slightly tart malty oaky flavors. In the background some fruits. Then quite fast the flavors are gone and a light alcoholic aftertaste kicks in.

Conclusion:
I expected it to be more round and smooth. The nose appears quite complex from the flavors one can find. However those flavors are very short living but repeat themself over and over again. Still not intense enough to impress me. Unfortunately on the palate it doesn’t get better. Even not talking about the finish. However I would describe it as an easy drinker. I will revisit it again and pair it with a cigar to see how it will effect the flavors.

Overall I give this Whisky: 82/100 WhiskyYoda points