![]() ![]() This a piece of history, tasting the past can tell one much about the present, and the strides taken to get here. The bottle and label are a little larger, yet similar to what the current bottle designs look like. Here we have one of the older Hibiki releases, featuring liquid that went on to make Hibiki what it is today. Suntory has approached the Hibiki brand in many different ways, changing both the design and liquid over time. The blend comprises over 10 different malt and grain whiskies, hand-selected by Suntory’s master distiller from all three sites. Released in 2015, the Master’s Select is gorgeous, smooth blend, bursting with tropical fruit, creamy vanilla, and cinnamon. The Harmony Master’s Select take things up a notch, and many claim it rivals the younger aged Hibiki expressions. The distillers worked hard to combine malt from Yamazaki and Hakushu, and grain from Chita, to create this smooth, easy-drinking NAS blend, and maintain the quality Hibiki whisky is renowned for. As the shortage of aged Suntory stock grew, the renowned Hibiki 12 Year-Old was replaced with the Harmony. The most accessible and readily available of Hibiki whisky, the Harmony can be found far and wide and is the most affordable bottle in the range. Here are some of the most well-known Hibiki bottlings, each representing a facet in the premium blend’s journey. Some were made in commemoration of certain events, others bottled to celebrate Japan, while some were replaced due to a shortage of aged stock, and to cater to the modern consumer. Over the years the Hibiki blend has grown, adapted, and changed leaving behind a wonderful array of bottle designs. The Hibiki bottle design is known for having 24 facets, each one coming together to deliver a natural harmony that is, perfectly, Japanese. On a global scale, the Hibiki whisky range by Suntory was and is, arguably, the most influential in changing the world’s perception of blended whisky, and in helping certain Japanese blends assume a similar premium image to the one the single malt category enjoys. Age statements were added to blends, 17 Year-Old, 21, 30, meaning that every whisky in the blend was at least as old as the age stated on the bottle. The word premium was attached to Japanese blended whisky, and pushed across the globe. Sometimes change must come from the outside. And this belief has lingered throughout the years. The assumed inferiority of blended whisky originates from the mistaken belief that blended expressions comprise the bad-tasting whiskies the Scotch distilleries don’t want. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |