Toki, a Japanese whisky blend from the House of Suntory, has launched in Malaysia.

Here's what you might not know: although Toki isn't "new"—it was first released a decade ago—it broke new ground at the time, when Suntory upended its approach to whiskies.

Historically, Suntory's whisky blends used Yamazaki malts as the key component. That changed with Toki, a blend with three distinct characters, released in 2016.

Firstly, Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo selected Hakushu American white oak cask malt whisky, from Suntory's mountain distillery in the Japanese alps. He then balanced it with Chita heavy-type grain whisky—elevating the grain character, which had traditionally played a supporting role in whiskies. Finally, the taste is rounded out by Yamazaki malt whiskies from Suntory's flagship distillery just outside Osaka.

And so three whiskies, from three distilleries—spanning a distance of more than 300km across Japan—came together in an innovative blend that changed the normal order of things.

The result is silky, vivid and a little surprising: The Hakushu is responsible for fresh green apple notes, the Chita contributes a light sweetness, with a hint of coffee and chocolate, and the Yamazaki whiskies add complex, tannic layers. It's a whisky blend designed to create the perfect highball.

At the launch in Kuala Lumpur, the Esquire Malaysia team had the pleasure of trying the whisky blend four ways: in a refreshing highball, on the rocks, and in two well-crafted cocktails by Shirmy Chan of Bar TeRu.Mi and Joel Poon of Reka:Bar.

With Toki now available at leading bars like Pahit, TeRu.Mi, Coley, Reka:Bar and more, we look forward to seeing how else our favourite bartenders will serve up this distinctive whisky in the future.