Monday, October 11, 2010

Review: Suntory Hibiki 17 years old Blended Japanese Whisky

 

Japanese Whisky
I am not an authority.  What little I have tried has impressed me.  In North America, Yamazaki 12 and 18 years are the most common.  The 12 is good.  The 18yrs is excellent.  These whiskies are proof that great single malts can be produced outside of Scotland.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try Hibiki 17 years old.  My uncle was given a bottle by his daughter-in-law.  She is Japanese and while in her native land picked up a bottle of Hibiki 17 years old as a gift for my uncle.  I got to try it! 

Blended Whisky
Hibiki 17 years is not a single malt.  Don't turn your nose up.  That would be a serious mistake.  Have an open mind and you will be rewarded.

This spirit is a blend of malt and grain whiskies having a minimum age of 17 years.  What is astounding about this whisky is that there is no graininess or rounded flavors that seem to 'blur' the flavors as is typical of high end Scotch whisky blends like Ballantine's 17 years, Chivas Regal 18 years, Johnnie Walker Gold and Blue Labels. 

Hibiki 17 can be proud of an extraordinary feat.  It tastes like a single malt scotch whisky, and a very, very fine one at that.

Nose
Cocoa and hazelnut.  It was quite restrained.  Not incredible but not offensive.  Just kinda there.  Very pleasant.

Palate
Rich, textured beams of cinammon, oak and honey lash the palate with lemon zest as you hold the whisky for a few seconds.  Medium to full bodied.  Never sharp.  Inifinitely smooth, yet playful and challenging.  A whisky that makes one unpoetically (is that a word?) wax on like a star-crossed lover.

Finish
Wow!  Super long!  You need such a little sip of this whisky to enjoy a subtle spiced oak/honey/cinammon combo wrapped in hazelnut with a little citrus on top. A flavor profile that will hold for a good 60 seconds after you swallow.  Wow!  I know, I know, I am getting repetitive, but this is really impressive.

General Impressions
I am breaking one of my cardinal rules of this blog.  Namely:  Thou shalt not review a whisky unless thou has tasted the whisky on multiple occasions.  In other words, own my own bottle, sample repeatedly, and then compose tasting notes.  I have broken that rule because this is a whisky that breaks all the rules!  (1)  It's a blended whisky but tastes like the finest single malt;  (2)  It's Japanese but could easily pass for 18+ years single malt Scotch.  (3)  It's terribly expensive but a tiny sip is so rich that in my warped mind I think it is worth the price!

I have tried many single malts and grain whiskies and this is simply one of the best.  I rank it in my top five of all time.  Fantastic stuff!

Rarely do I pay attention to the shape of a bottle, but the fine glass, Hibiki 17 24 sided bottle design is impressive.  The 24 sides allude to the number of hours in a day as well as the number of seasons in the traditional Japanese lunar calendar.  The heavy glass cap is elegant like the whisky underneath.

The trouble with Hibiki 17 is locating it, if you live in North America.  It is currently not being distributed in the United States or Canada.  I have a lot of readers in Hong Kong, Singapore, as well as Japan.  I suspect they can obtain it more easily.  For the rest of us, we gotta pray it turns up at duty free in the airport.

However, while the Hibiki 17 is not available in North America, the 12 year old is available and it is excellent.  If you see it, buy it!

I would buy this for myself and only share with people who appreciate great whisky.  If you can find it, buy it!

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved.

28 comments:

  1. In Sweden you can get Hibiki 17 Years 700ml (43%) for 899 kr (around 129 USD)

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  2. Then better come to Amsterdam. Here it cost's 73,50 euro's (roughly 100 USD).
    Still a somethingload of money though...

    Cheerz,

    Boris

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  3. I brought a suitcase of Japanese whisky back to the US with me last year, including two bottles of the Hibiki 17. If you have not visited, put it on your list. Many serious and educated whisky drinkers. It was so integrated to the culture I remember several varieties offered in the Tokyo Dome when I caught a baseball game.

    This month I saw the Hibiki 12 yr in stores around the Boston area for the first time. As you mention, only Yamazaki 12 and 18 were previously imported. Let's hope this means more coming to North America.

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  4. A suitcase of Japanese whisky? I think you and I would get along well.

    I have never been to Japan, but have heard many good things about the country, people and love of whisky. Moreover, I am particularly interested in their amazing whisky bars. They are very well designed, with bartenders who hand cut the ice for very interesting cocktails.

    I agree, let's hope Hibiki will become more widely available in North America.

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  5. Oh, come on Jason! I've been wanting to try this one for quite some time. I've read good things about it, and while I shouldn't admit it, I love the packaging. :-)

    I've pretty much overshot my budget two-fold this year for whisky, but seeing you break your blogging rules and go crazy over the Hibiki makes it that much more tempting to throw a bottle of this on the credit card.

    If I give in to temptation, I'm telling my wife it's your fault.

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  6. Jeff, I am a sucker for great packaging and presentation too. The bottle is truly beautiful, much like the whisky inside. This is one of the best whiskies I have ever had. Buy it! You will be happier, your wife will wonder what that spring in your step is and you will just smile at her and tell her it is she . . . Works everytime for me!

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    1. hi, i'm a whisky newb from Malaysia. really enjoy your writing style, the eccentric wit, your seeming love of a good adventure and this fantastic piece of life advice. cheers!

      ccdev

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  7. Hibiki 17 has got to be my all time favourite!

    Bottle is beautiful, but it has got to be the smooth woody-honey-oak flavor that really makes me go crazy about it. Love the nose on this whiskey too. It's expensive, but worth every cent.

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  8. Joel, I agree! I will pay the price any time I see it.

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  9. Jason, You are absolutly right about this Hibiki 17. It has quickly become a favorite of mine. I live in Okinawa Japan and was actually in a convenience store and they had a 2oz bottle of this stuff (yeah thats right, a mini 24 sided bottle) I decided to give it a try after already having had the Yamazaki 10, and 12 and also The Glenlivet 18. I had no idea that the Hibiki was a blended whisky until I read it here. It goes for about $129.00 for the 750ml bottle here which isnt too bad. If you ever come across the Hibiki 12yr don't waste your time. It is in fact about 1/2 the price and all and all not bad but it just doesnt have the same body and long lasting tingly finish that the 17 yr has. When I first tasted it, I though OH MY GOD! does anyone else know about this? After reading your review, I guess the answer is yes. I enjoy reading your reviews, they have really helped me to make informed decisions when trying a new scotch. Thanks!

    Richinoki

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  10. Richinoki, glad to hear from you! I am also pleased to read that your impressions of Hibiki 17 are consistent with mine.

    Please dont let the fact that it is a blended whisky make you consider it to be somewhat less great. It is a remarkable whisky as you know.

    When Jim Murray announced that Ballantine's 17 year old blended scotch was the whisky of the year, I shook my head and thought, he must have meant "Hibiki."

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  11. Just bought one in Guernsey (vat free) for £57

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  12. Well it cost me around $85-90 US dollars for my bottle. 6500 yen

    If I had to have only 2 bottles of whisky on my shelf, it would be the Ardbeg 10 year old, and the Hibiki 17 year. I'm also a bourbon and Irish whiskey drinker, but neither are as interesting to me as the Hibiki. Most scotches are boring now, but that's how spoiled I've become!!!

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  13. You are spoiled! Since you are in Japan, try Yamazaki 18 yrs, another spell binding whisky!

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  14. My sister went to Japan and brought me a bottle as a gift. "Japanese whisky?!? Right!!" It sat in the cabinet for nearly 2 years until I served it to some guests because I had nothing else at home. WOW! It's incredible. I'm not a whisky connaisseur but was amazed with it. Too bad its practically impossible to find in Brazil. I'll keep my eyes opened whenever I travel to the east now...

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  15. They serve this in business class on the Japanese airline ANA. It comes in a superb little bottle which is a miniature version of the 24-sided one that Jason saw - but there is nothing miniature about the serving size. A great way to pass the long hours of flying.

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    1. Will, if your company happens to be hiring do let me know. I would be happy to take over those flights to Japan!

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  16. Just had a friend get a bottle of this from Japan airport duty free store for 8000 yen ($80). This is my new favorite whiskey!

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  17. Im going to try it tomorrow instead of return it to the liqueur store cause I didn't read was a blended Whisky instead of a single malt
    I'm going to be open mind tomorrow

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    1. You are wise to give this incredible blended whisky a chance. Just because it is not a single malt does not in any way mean it is inferior to many single malts.

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  18. We just bought hibiki 17 180ml from duty free Tokyo airport. .. its the best!

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    1. Lucky you! I gotta find a job that takes me to Tokyo.

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  19. I brought a full bottle of the Hibiki 17 back from duty free in Tokyo last year - it went quickly with my guests. Looking forward to replenishing it on my next trip later this year.
    Thanks for the review - you don't see many full length reviews of this whisky (given how hard it is to obtain).

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    1. Heavenly! Simply heaven! My opinion of Hibiki 17 has not changed at all since this original review.

      Glad you enjoyed it and I must say you are a most generous host!

      Cheers!

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  20. The best non-peated blended whisky in the world bar none IMO. There must be some variations between batches because while my bottle was similar to yours, it had a very distinct aroma of cherry blossoms or maraschino cherries (also there to a lesser extent in the palate and finish). I would seriously consider selling my firstborn for another bottle.

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    1. Since writing this review five years ago, I have enjoyed a couple more bottles and remain equally impressed. Truly magnificent whisky!

      Thanks for taking the time to comment and pass on the word!

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  21. I tried it first time yesterday. It is nice and rate it over Yamazaki 18. Anyway now there are cheaper Hibiki variaties but taste is not good as 17 or 12.

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