24 Jun Whisky Wednesday: Suntory’s new Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky

This Whisky Wednesday at Tokyo Bird we’ve got an exciting new whisky to feature here on the blog and at our Surry Hills small bar: Suntory Whisky’s new Hibiki Japanese Harmony blended whisky, launched in the Australian market just this week.

Whisky: Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Distiller: Suntory 
Country: Japan
Type: Blend of single malt and single grain whiskies
ABV: 43%

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Tasting notes

Colour (what does it look like?):
Amber

Nose (what does it smell like?):
Rose, lychee, rosemary, sandalwood, woodiness

Palate (what does it taste and feel like?):
Honey, candied orange peel, white chocolate

Finish (how does the flavour finish on the palate?):
Subtle, tender, long finish, hint of mizunara Japanese oak

Background

The new Hibiki Japanese Harmony expression of Suntory’s premium blended whisky was launched in the Japanese market in March 2015 and in Australia on Monday.

Like the other Hibiki blends, Hibiki Japanese Harmony comprises malt whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and grain whisky from the Chita distillery; 12 whiskies in all.

It has no age statement (NAS) and was introduced to the market to offset the increasing scarcity (and rising prices) of Suntory’s older whisky stocks – much like the Distillers Reserve expressions of the Yamazaki and Hakushu single malts.

The growing global popularity of Japanese whisky and its relatively small supply base (compared to scotch whisky, for example) means that Japan’s distilleries are having some difficulty in meeting market demand for their premium aged whiskies; hence the growing prevalence of NAS whiskies.

Suntory Whisky Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo (and the fourth generation of Suntory founder Shijiro Torii) pays homage to the original Hibiki blend created in 1989. He used the same base malt whiskies which are aged in American white oak, accented by sherry cask and mizunara cask aged whiskies, all pulled together by the Chita grain whisky.

Hibiki means ‘resonance’ or ‘harmony’ in Japanese and the Hibiki range of blended whiskies is said to resonate from nature and the 24 seasons of the old Japanese lunar calendar – which are represented by the 24 facets of the impressive Hibiki bottle. Like the other whiskies in the Hibiki range, there is a transparency of taste in Hibiki Japanese Harmony that allows this blend to reveal all of its complexities, and indeed its constituents, simultaneously.

Best drinking

I like to have mine on the rocks as I think a touch of water benefits the Hibiki Japanese Harmony, and lets some of the subtler flavour notes to open up and be enjoyed.

What do you think?

Leave a comment with your thoughts on Suntory’s Hibiki Japanese Harmony blended whisky – or come try it at Tokyo Bird tonight! Mention #WhiskyWednesdays to get free bar snacks with your Whisky of the Week (Wednesdays only).