Blended whisky, for whatever reason, always seems to sit in a predisposed spot in some drinkers minds. We can put this down to years of marketing, or snobbish attitudes that still remain in whisky. The latter is dying out though, so that’s a plus.
Toki was introduced to the whisky market at an interesting and high demand point in the current world of Japanese whisky. Insane demand and the seemingly slow drip of Japanese whisky, even as a concept, is still reaching people. As a result, people want the best, the most awarded and what experts recommend. But alot of Suntory and Nikka’s most lauded products are now obselete for the everyday enjoyer of whisky.
Enter Toki. A combination of Chita, Hakushu and a few other products in the Suntory line, the idea of the style is to be light, fresh and very easy to drink. Can confirm that it hits these points rather well, and it’s affordable. Which isn’t a word that is associated with Japanese whisky too much these days.
Think of this product as a perfectly fine neat spirit, not expensive at all, but does the job well in the Japanese style. But it’s a very good quality mixer that has a huge versatility, but you can’t go wrong with a classic highball of this and gingerale, little slice of apple or lime as a garnish. Perfect.
It’s not going to blow your mind, but it won’t blow apart yout wallet if you want a Japanese whisky that hits all the trademark style points.