To commemorate its 40th anniversary, Hokkaido-based chocolate maker ROYCE’ Confect Co.,Ltd. launched two new products in collaboration with Suntory Ao: “Raw Chocolate Ao Snacks for Highballs” and “Raw Chocolate Ao Snacks for Rock”.
1. What is ROYCE’ Confect Co.,Ltd.
ROYCE’ raw chocolate is famous as a local souvenir of Hokkaido, and its production base is located in Futomi, Tobetsu, Hokkaido. It is a 40-minute drive from downtown Sapporo, and the cool and low humidity in summer makes it an ideal environment for chocolate making.
Although ROYCE’ is celebrating its 40th anniversary, it did not start selling its signature product, raw chocolate, until 1995, and since then it has continued to produce a variety of confections, including the pre-opening of “ROYCE’ Cacao & Chocolate Town” in Tobetsu Town in 2022, where visitors can experience the chocolate factory and workshops for actually making chocolate.
Reference: ROYCE’ Story
2. What is Suntory Whisky AO?
“SUNTORY WORLD WHISKY Ao” was born out of Suntory’s new challenge to “develop a blended whisky by blending the original spirits of the world’s five major whiskies, which are rich in character.”
Suntory’s new challenge, a message for a new era, as it continues to “inherit and innovate”. The world’s first blend of the world’s “five major whisky” brands made at Suntory’s own distilleries.
“Ao,” the deep and beautiful color of the “ocean” that connects Japan and the rest of the world, was used as the name and color of the brand. The design of the compass and waves also expresses this idea. The innovative “pentagonal bottle” represents the “world’s top five whiskies.” The “English/ink lettering” logotype on the label, with the corners placed in front, symbolizes the encounter between the “World’s Greatest Sake / Japanese Craftsmanship.” All of these elements express the development concept of this product and convey a message for a new era.
Ao opens up a new world of whisky
The original whisky from seven distilleries was selected and carefully blended with the skill of a master while taking advantage of the rich individuality of each distillery.
It has a sweet and gorgeous aroma and a mild mouthfeel. It is characterized by a thick and varied taste with a pleasant smokiness.
You can enjoy the complex and rich changes in flavor created by the individuality of the world’s five major whiskies.
The pentagonal shape of the bottle represents the world’s five major whiskies.
Click here for the article on Suntory World Whisky AO
3. Raw chocolate Ao snacks
Although no whisky is used in the chocolate to match the character of Suntory Ao, the two chocolates were developed as an exclusive pairing.
Raw chocolate [Ao’s snack for the rocks]
The rich milkiness of the raw chocolate matches the bourbon-derived vanilla aroma of Ao on the rocks, and the sweetness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the Ao melt together in the mouth.
Raw chocolate [Ao’s snack for highball]
The silky texture of the raw chocolate and the mouth feel of the highball go well together. The bitter and delicate flavor brings out the original complex taste of Ao. The subtle smokiness and the pleasant aftertaste on the palate are appealing.
Comment quotation and image source: ROYCE’ official online SHOP
Click here for articles on other Suntory products.
Raw chocolate from “Ao no Ate”
The 40th anniversary of ROYCE’ was the occasion for the birth of an unprecedented concept of raw chocolate. Suntory’s premium blended whisky “Ao” changes with a variety of drinking styles. We have created a raw chocolate that matches the unique character of Ao, which changes depending on how it is drunk, whether with a highball or on the rocks.
This product does not contain whisky.
Reference: ROYCE’ official online store