Hibiki Harmony came into markets replacing the 12 Year Old variety. Being a no-age statement whisky, maybe it's distributed around a broader audience, just about all resides in turmoil with endless comparisons on the whisky it replaced. Removing age statements gives producers flexibility making whisky (how is it that 12 years be the minimum age from the bottle?), it results in a feeling of distrust with all the consumer used to seeing a number for the bottle.
Harmony is softer, gentler, while offering a quieter complexity when compared to discontinued 12 years old. You can find whiskies that are had finest in a loud crowd, and whiskies you'll savor most having a small number of of friends. Harmony can be a singular experience. It's the whisky that has a lot to convey, but speaks quietly. Sure, it isn't really Hibiki 12, however it is fairly simple that it has more to provide.
What's inside the whisky?
Hibiki could be the high-end blended brand from Beam Suntory. Hibiki 17 and 21 yr old are beautiful whiskies, as well as the 21 is considered the most best whiskies I've tasted. All Hibiki releases can be a mixture of malted barley and grain whisky, with assorted varieties of oak used. It is a combination of malt from Yamazaki, Hakashu, and Chita whisky (mostly corn whisky). As for barrels used, there's American oak, some sherry oak, and Japanese Mizunara oak.
While blended whisky receives a bad reputation, and Hibiki makes an effort not to market itself consequently, this is an instance of why blended whiskies mustn't be ignored.
Nose: Notes of an vanilla-citrus terrine. Wonderful caramel sweetness blended with bright orange zest, joined with heavier toasted spice notes. A geniune oaky spice gets control of the nose following a time, understanding that gives you something a bit different. It's buttery, features a touch of char, nice vanilla, a certain amount of candied ginger combined with the amalgamation. A mix of vanilla citrus finishes off the nose as time passes.
Palate: A good looking spread of oak tannins, vanilla sweetness, sharp pepper spice, and a buttery finish. Honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg come through nicely. It's sharper on the palate than you are on the nose. The conclusion is gentle, and heavier on a combination of buttery-sweet and cinnamon spice.
Conclusion: The nose does wonders, as well as the palate is a touch more ordinary, but overall the best Hibiki you are able to buy in the marketplace. It's priced well inside a market the place that the supply and demand chart for Japanese whisky is out-of-this-world.
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