Hibiki
Part of:
Suntory Global Spirits
Heart malt:
Yamazaki
About the brand
Hibiki is the luxury Japanese blended whisky of Suntory — Nikka's historic rival. The name means "resonance" or "echo", which captures the idea: a harmony in which different voices become one. Suntory's master blender marries 30+ malt and grain whiskies from three of the group's distilleries.
Hibiki's three hearts
- Yamazaki — deep fruit, marmalade and an oriental note from rare Mizunara Japanese-oak casks.
- Hakushu — freshness: green apple, mint and a barely-there wisp of peat smoke.
- Chita — the smooth grain whisky that binds the two malts together.
The first bottle was released in 1989 for Suntory's 90th anniversary. The faceted decanter has 24 sides (the 24 seasons of the Japanese lunar calendar) and the hand-made washi-paper label carries a brush-drawn name. Most age-stated versions (12/17/21/30 YO) were withdrawn as stocks ran dry; the range now centres on Japanese Harmony (NAS). Hibiki 21 YO has been named "World's Best Blended Whisky" five times.
Timeline
- 1989 Launch for Suntory's 90th anniversary — the first Hibiki 17 and 21 YO in the 24-facet decanter.
- 1997 Move into ultra-premium: the limited Hibiki 30 YO.
- 2004 Hibiki 21 YO takes gold at the International Spirits Challenge — a turning point for Japanese whisky in the West.
- 2009 Hibiki 12 YO, with malt matured in plum-liqueur (umeshu) casks.
- 2015 Hibiki Japanese Harmony (NAS) launches — the new base of the range amid a shortage of aged stock.
- 2018 Production of the iconic Hibiki 17 YO is halted for lack of sufficiently aged whisky.
- 2021 Hibiki Blossom Harmony — a limited edition finished in Japanese cherry (sakura) wood.
- 2023 Centenary of Japanese whisky (Yamazaki, 1923) — Hibiki Centenary editions.
