Founded in 1899, the Suntory brand started as a small wine store in Osaka, but grew rapidly over the years, encompassing a wide range of products. Their construction of the Yamazaki Distillery in 1923 and the release of Suntory Shirofuda Whisky in 1929 brought Japanese Whisky into the public eye. Suntory’s outstanding craftsmanship and expertise is apparent in every bottle, and their Hibiki Whisky is no different.

Harmony – a rather apt word to describe this well-balanced Japanese blended whisky from the Hibiki range. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is made with malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, as well as grain whisky from the Chita distillery. The whiskies are drawn from 5 different types of cask, including American white oak casks, Sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks. The blend itself was crafted by the Suntory Whisky blending team, led by Master Blender Shingo Torii. An elegant expression, with wafts of honey, orange, a herbaceous touch or two and light oak.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony is heralded as the foundation of the Hibiki range, leveraging the same key malt and grain whiskies from the original Hibiki blend, Hibiki 17 Years and Hibiki 21 Years. American White Oak malt whiskies create a solid base. The rare Mizunara (Japanese oak) and sherry cask malt whiskies are the dressing. The smoky malt whiskies enact as subtle accents to create depth and further complexity. Grain whiskies from Suntory’s Chita distillery act as the “dashi,”or broth, to complete the personality of the malt whiskies and enhance their overall harmony.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Floral sweetness, emphasis on the floral, some pine and sandalwood
Palate: Caramelized honey akin to sherry (it’s one of the sweetest I can remember), candied orange, cinnamon (think about the baking area of your spice drawer… that whole smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, etc), rosemary, a little smokiness that surprised me
Finish: Medium finish and clean, some dark chocolate sweet bitterness, lingering honey