Hibiki Japanese Harmony Suntory Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

Hibiki is a harmonious blend of several malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s three distilleries; Yamazaki was the first distillery founded in 1923, Hakushu is located in the Japanese alps and Chita is purely focused on producing grain whisky. There's Sandalwood on the nose, honey-like sweetness to taste, with candied orange peel and complex oak to finish. A magical blend of malt and grain whiskies blended to create a full orchestra of aromas and flavours. The whiskies are drawn from 5 different types of cask, including American white oak casks, Sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks. Meaning ‘resonance’ in Japanese, Hibiki perfectly upholds Suntory’s ideals and their philosophy of living in harmony with both people and nature, mirroring the subtlety of nature itself with the twenty-four facets to the bottle’s design, a nod to the twenty-four seasons of the traditional calendar of Japan.

Harmony seems like a pretty apt name for this moreish dram due to its poise and balance and it highlights the exceptional skills of their blending team, led by Shingo Torri, son of Suntory's founder and legendary Japanese whisky pioneer Shinjiro Torri. Japanese orange and sweet nuances of honey and fruit create a balance that ends in a long-lasting finish with subtle hints of Japanese oak.Our bins hold 18-24 bottles of wine or Champagne or 2-3 cases of lager when filled with ice and water. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is blended from more than 12 whiskies made at Suntory’s three distilleries delivering a full orchestra of flavours and aromas. I thought it will be very different than Scottish whisky and maybe not good enough but it was a big surprise for me, something new but still whisky and really nice one. Let our expert sommelier guide you through the rich flavours and captivating stories behind each pour.

The spirits produced at the three Suntory Distilleries, each with different micro-climates and water sources, taste strikingly different so that when blended, they to create a full orchestra of flavours and aromas. This harmonious whisky is a blend of numerous Japanese malt and grain whiskies, combining to create an orchestra of flavor that pays tribute to the traditional 24 seasons of the Japanese calendar. This is a benchmark Japanese whisky that is smooth and gentle, with aromas and flavours of honey, candied.The production process is very similar to that for Scotch whisky, and the product is the closest in style to Scotch of all non-Scotch whisky.

I’d definitely say the hibiki doesn’t really taste like a “true whisky” but at the same time it definitely is a whisky- sounds contradictory but hear me out. Seductive, blossoming and enigmatic, Hibiki celebrates an unrivaled art of blending, fine craftsmanship and a sense of luxury from the House of Suntory. Also sign me up for newsletters so I can get special offers, recommendations, and expert advice to my inbox! but don't worry, I am no longer the only consumer of it in this household) and believe me, this is by far the best one and is great value-for-money. I'm not normally a whisky drinker but I drank this one neat to get the true flavour, it was pleasant and I found it sweet and smooth, a nice warming feeling as it went down, and a nice aroma, it was a pleasant surprising whisky.The constituent malts come from Suntory’s two malt whisky distilleries, Yamazaki and Hakushu, and the grain component from the company’s Chita Distillery.