Month: January 2020

Detroit-based watchmaker Shinola is honoring Motown pop legend Smokey Robinson with a new limited release. The special edition Vinton watch—offered in a 38mm and new 32mm case size—features a circular brushed stainless-steel case, piercing blue enamel dial, three-link stainless steel bracelet, and an engravable caseback.

The watch also comes with a custom-blue 45 RPM single with new recordings of two classic tunes, a duet of “My Girl” by Smokey with Ramsey Lewis III, and “My Guy” covered by Ayra Goya, just in case you hadn’t heard them enough already. It all comes in a snazzy, Smokey-adorned gift box, and is limited to just 1,000 examples. 

Robinson, who turns 80 in February, collaborated with Shinola on the new timepiece, which is part of their Great Americans Series. The Shinola Vinton Smokey Robinson watch set is available now for $950.

Suntory‘s Japanese whisky shouldn’t be an acquired taste, because it’s objectively excellent. And we’re just talking off-the-shelf varieties you can find at many liquor stores. 

So imagine the kind of liquid gold you’ll get with the 55-year-old Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Suntory just unveiled. 

The spirit was matured “in mizunara and white oak casks,” Reuters reports, and it “will be the oldest version of Yamazaki, Suntory’s flagship single malt.”

Reuters quoted Suntory’s head blender Shinji Fukuyo regarding the whisky’s taste, which he said was “sweet and woody, with a mature, fruity aroma and long aftertaste.”

Unfortunately, bottles are in very short supply. There are just 100, and they are so precious Suntory is only selling them via lottery.

And interested customers must have a Japanese address to even get in the lottery. 

If you are lucky enough to check those boxes and in line to purchase the 55-year-old Yamazaki Single Malt, one bottle alone will cost 3.3 million yen, or $27,550 USD.

You can learn more about the Yamazaki here, via Reuters, or at Suntory’s site, if you read Japanese. 

Sales begin on June 30, 2020.