10/12/2023 0 Comments Hibiki whiskey proofDefinitely a bit more character here, but not all of it good. A slightly funky note, vaguely vegetal, which I don’t recall on standard Harmony. Lots of vanilla, as before – perhaps even more so. Not particularly fruity, but I do get light pears, plums, bananas and orange rind (plus some lemon curd). Nose: Similar to regular Harmony, but with more dry oakiness up front. White Oak Akashi Single Malt (NAS): 7.94 ± 0.49 on 7 reviews ($$$$) White Oak Akashi Blended: 7.60 ± 0.67 on 8 reviews ($$$) Suntory The Chita Single Grain: 8.36 ± 0.39 on 5 reviews ($$$) Nikka Pure Malt White: 8.70 ± 0.32 on 13 reviews ($$$) Nikka Pure Malt Red: 8.53 ± 0.33 on 9 reviews ($$$) Nikka Pure Malt Black: 8.78 ± 0.21 on 14 reviews ($$$) Nikka From the Barrel: 8.82 ± 0.36 on 23 reviews ($$$) Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve (MWR): 8.20 ± 0.46 on 10 reviews ($$$$$) Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries: 8.64 ± 0.23 on 8 reviews ($$$$$) Hibiki Harmony Master’s Select: 8.19 ± 0.74 on 5 reviews ($$$$$) Here are how the Hibiki whiskies compare to other entry-level Japanese whiskies in my Metacritic Databae: So I was curious to see how this Master’s Select version of Harmony would compare. I have always been a big fan of the older Hibiki age-statement expressions (especially the Hibiki 17yo), and am relatively positive on the no-age-statement Harmony expression – although it doesn’t fare as well among most reviewers. I paid a little over $100 CAD at the time (on sale), which was about the same price as regular Harmony here in Canada. I bought a bottle in early 2016, but only opened it recently. ![]() As with regular Harmony, there is no age statement, and it is bottled at 43% ABV. The stronger woody character – and use of Yamazaki sherry casks in particular – are emphasized in Suntory promotional materials, in an apparent effort to increase the cachet of Hibiki Master’s Select. Master’s Select is reported to be a blend of 10 different Japanese malt and grain whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries, aged in 5 different types of casks, including American white oak casks, sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks. Unlike some Japanese special-edition “travel exclusives” – which are simply re-labelled and marked-up versions of standard bottlings – Master’s Select is actually a different blend than the regular Harmony. Hibiki Whisky is not only Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky, but among the most prestigious and honored whiskies in the world.Hibiki Harmony Master’s Select is a duty-free (aka “global travel retail”) special release of Hibiki Harmony blended whisky. From the date it launched, Hibiki Whisky has been embraced as the paragon of The Art of Japanese Whisky, the very product of Japanese nature and her people. Seductive, blossoming and enigmatic, Hibiki Japanese Whisky celebrates an unrivalled art of blending, fine craftsmanship and a sense of luxury from the House of Suntory. “Kanzen” or complete, Hibiki Whisky is a harmonious blend of numerous malt and grain whiskies which are meticulously blended to create a full orchestra of flavors and aromas. World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards, 2010).World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards, 2011).Gold Medal (International Spirits Challenge, 2012).World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards, 2016).World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards, 2017).Supreme Champion Spirit (International Spirits Challenge 2017).World’s Best Blended Whisky (World Whiskies Awards, 2019).Hibiki 21 has consistently been awarded the World’s best-blended whisky again took home that award in 2017, as well as Supreme Champion Spirit at the ISC ’17. Palate: Sweet caramel, touch of smoke & oak and spice.įinish: Long, with just a touch of smoke. Nose: Sweet with rich sherry, caramel or treacle, lots of fruit blackcurrants, lemon, pears with vanilla. Combined to create the perfect Japanese blended whisky. Hibiki 21 features a range of Suntory’s most famous distilleries. This ha s taken centuries to perfect, but the result is a truly world-class bottle. This pursuit leads the master blender to choose the best combination of whiskies from across Suntory’s notable distilleries. ![]() When blending the whisky the goal is to find harmony, or a delicate balance. The Hibiki 21 year old lies in the middle of Suntory’s Hibiki line, between the Hibiki 17 Year Old and Hibiki 30 Year Old releases.
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