Usually, when one thinks of Japanese rice distillations, the only thing that comes to mind is sake. But now that is no longer the case because Suntory, one of the oldest distilling companies in Japan and one of the largest in the world, recently launched a unique, flavorful vodka that—diverting from traditional wheat, potato, and rye recipes—is distilled from Japanese rice.

The result is Ao Vodka ($50), a crystal-clear spirit that takes its name from the Japanese word ao, used to describe the soothing blue-…