Beam Suntory to Intro New Scotch Whisky

Ardray is the result of collaboration between Beam Suntory's chief blender for Scotch, Calum Fraser, and Suntory's blenders, who created the recipe.

Beam Suntory said Ardray honors the vision of Suntory's founder, Shinjiro Torii, to create a Japanese approach to Scotch – a subtle, refined, yet complex whisky. Built on the premise that blended whisky is an art form that deserves both respect and reappraisal, Ardray is to challenge preconceptions. By treating both malt and grain whiskies as equals, the result is a whisky that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Presented in a bespoke bottle each marked with the year of release, the striking artwork of artist Lia Melia adorns each one, capturing Scotland's raw beauty. Its richly textured rippling pattern representing malt and grain highlights two fundamental ingredients in Scotch whisky. The unique feel of the glass bottle takes after the free-flowing water of Scotland's streams and rivers, and the patterns made by the wind blowing across barley fields.

Ardray is 49% alcohol,  non-chill filtered. SRP: $83, available in late summer. It is a malt rich blend of Scottish Malt and Grain Whiskies, blended in annual batches to achieve a unique harmony of flavors – the recipe will be adjusted according to the precise characteristics of the casks used in each batch, Beam Suntory said.