Hibiki Harmony got into markets replacing the 12 Year Old variety. Being a no-age statement whisky, it can be made available to a broader audience, it resides in turmoil with endless comparisons for the whisky it replaced. Removing age statements gives producers flexibility making whisky (how come 12 years function as the minimum age from the bottle?), it also generates a sense of distrust with all the consumer familiar with going to a number about the bottle.
Harmony is softer, gentler, and provides a quieter complexity when compared to discontinued 12 years old. There are whiskies that are had top in a loud crowd, and whiskies you'll enjoy most with a select few of friends. Harmony is a singular experience. It is the whisky that carries a lot to convey, but speaks quietly. Sure, it's not Hibiki 12, yet it's entirely possible which it has more to make available.
What's inside the whisky?
Hibiki could be the high-end blended brand from Beam Suntory. Hibiki 17 and 21 year-old are beautiful whiskies, and also the 21 is considered the most best whiskies I've tasted. All Hibiki releases really are a blend of malted barley and grain whisky, with some other forms of oak used. This is the combination of malt from Yamazaki, Hakashu, and Chita whisky (mostly corn whisky). In terms of barrels used, there's American oak, some sherry oak, and Japanese Mizunara oak.
While blended whisky gets to be a bad reputation, and Hibiki makes an effort to never market itself as a result, it is really an demonstration of why blended whiskies mustn't be ignored.
Nose: Notes of the vanilla-citrus terrine. Wonderful caramel sweetness combined with bright orange zest, coupled with heavier toasted spice notes. A traditional oaky spice gets control of the nose from a time, understanding that provides you with something quite different. It's buttery, includes a touch of char, nice vanilla, a bit of candied ginger combined with the mix. A mixture of vanilla citrus finishes off of the nose with time.
Palate: A beautiful spread of oak tannins, vanilla sweetness, sharp pepper spice, and a buttery finish. Honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg come through nicely. It's sharper for the palate than you are on the nose. The final is gentle, and heavier on the mix of buttery-sweet and cinnamon spice.
Conclusion: The nose does wonders, and also the palate is a bit more ordinary, but overall the very best Hibiki you'll be able to buy out there. It's priced well in a market the place that the supply and demand chart for Japanese whisky is out-of-this-world.
For more info about Hibiki Harmony view this popular webpage