Suntory Royal 12 Year Old Zodiac Decanter Year of the Tiger Japanese Blended Whisky (1998) 60cl

Suntory Royal 12 Year Old Zodiac Decanter Year of the Tiger (1998) 60cl

This decanter is from Suntory's Zodiac Collection, a series of annual releases of their most popular blended whiskies, each presented in an ornate ceramic decanter depicting an animal from the Zodiac calendar. Launched in the early 1980s, the series has gained popularity amongst collectors for its extensive and diverse range of designs.

This was released for the year 1998, to celebrate the Zodiac Year of the Tiger.

Suntory are one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky, established by Shinjirō Torii in 1899 as a wine store in Osaka. The venture was hugely successful, and the company was renamed Kotobukiya in 1921, which built its first distillery three years later, Yamazaki. The distillery produced both malt and grain whiskies which the company blended together, releasing its first Suntory White Label in 1929, the resulting popularity of which saw the firm renamed after it 1963. Expansion in the next decade saw the company move its grain production to a new Chita distillery in 1972, and open a second malt distillery, Hakushu, the following year. Suntory today has a large stake in both the bourbon and Scotch whisky industry, but remains at the forefront of its native whisky market too.

It still holds its own as people are pleasantly surprised when they try it and this particular bottle was released to celebrate the Year of the Sheep.

43% ABV

60cl