SR12 is a delicious bottle of pure Japanese whisky. There are 4 different labels: white, black, blue, and gold. I am not positive if there is any difference in the bottles, but the black label is excellent. I have a gold SR12 I still need to open and another black SR12 on the way from Japan along with a blue label bottle. SR15 is smoother, but SR12 is still better than Hibiki and it's on the same level as Crest 12. It is sweet with a little more burn than SR15, but still very smooth. If you can get a bottle from Japan then buy it. The entire Suntory Royal line won't let you down!