Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022 43% 70cl

Product Information

Royal Mile Whiskies: This is another good retailer we know to be reliable. Occasionally, they’ll get a bottle of this series in.

The House of Suntory , which is the founding House of Japanese whisky, was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii when he opened the first official malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki. Since then The House of Suntory has created what’s considered to be some of the most highly-awarded blended whiskies on the international market as well as some of the most prestigious and honored whiskies in the world. Torii was a pioneering whisky maker whose goal was to create authentic western-style spirits that would appeal to Japanese tastes. Hibiki, meaning “resonance” or “echo” in Japanese, is said to encapsulate the philosophy of The House of Suntory, which is ‘To Create Harmony with People and Nature.’ Coming in at 43 percent ABV, the whisky opens with a delicate floral bouquet followed by lush honey, orange peel, jasmine, and rich chocolate. The palate is ripe with tropical fruits and warm toast over the sweet-salty tang of sakura mochi, finishing off with bittersweet spicy notes. (Image credit: Suntory) We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof.

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Gordon & MacPhail has a deep inventory of rare whiskies laid down by previous generations of the Urquhart family. These liquid treasures all come from demolished distilleries; St. Magdalene/Linlithgow and Glen Mhor distilleries closed in 1983, and Lochside Distillery stopped production in 1992. The Private Collection label indicates whiskies selected by members of the Urquhart family, the fourth generation to own and run the 125 year old business, and each expression has been matured from the beginning under the stewardship of Gordon & MacPhail in its own casks. The St. Magdalene was matured in a refill American oak hogshead, and the Glen Mhor and Lochside come from refill sherry hogsheads. Beyond these three bottlings coming to the U.S., Gordon & MacPhail will also release bottlings from Pittyvaich, Inverleven, Convalmore, Imperial, and Banff in select international markets as part of the Recollection Series. Hibiki meaning “Resonance” in Japanese, a creation to honour Suntory’s philosophy of living in harmony with people and nature. Hibiki is a harmonious blend of various malt and grain whiskies from Suntory's Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Constantly pushing the boundaries of what Japanese Whisky can be, the House of Suntory continues to explore and experiment with various wood types. The Sakura cask was one that intrigued Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo.

Whisky Base: This is a social platform where whisky collectors share the whisky they have and the whisky they want. You can occasionally find the odd bottle for sale privately, but make sur eyou do your research before buying. Castle & Key Distillery's first whiskey, Resurrection rye was released in 2020, followed by Small Batch bourbon earlier this year, and now Small Batch wheated, its first wheated bourbon. Both batches of wheated were selected from 49 barrels and vary in proof by only 1%. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). Eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe blends the signature Basil Hayden with bourbon that was partially aged in California red wine casks. Noe crafted the whiskey with aperitif sippingin mind.

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This release honors the sakura, which is the Japanese word for cherry blossom. The sakura is Japan's national flower, and cherry blossom season in Japan is a major celebratory occasion throughout the country. The blossoming carries a great deal of meaning for the Japanese people, who see it as symbolizing life's joy and beauty, but also of its transience. This is the entry the series started with. It launched in 2021 and changed the market forever. The Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2021 reelase is distinct in its colour, much darker than what came next. The red label across the front is eye-catching, and you can see below it the telltale marker that it was bottled in 2021. This is what your bottle should look like if it’s genuine. The box it comes in also bears 2021 and has blossom flowers across it in an arc. The box does have Japanese writing on it, so you’r enot looking at a fake if you see that. Unlike with some Macallan releases. Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022 Image from Whisky Intelligence

After some experiments, Fukuyo settled on maturing Hibiki’s grain component in sakura casks, which makes up around 20 percent of the overall blend. “We found that there was a special alchemy between the grain whiskies and the sakura cask,” he said. “It is this special relationship – harmony – that inspired me to create this blend.”Batch 11 in GlenDronach's much celebrated Grandeur series is a 28 year old single malt aged in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks. While Scotland has strict laws dictating the type of oak used in their whisky, Japan’s rules are much looser. This has encouraged distillers to play native wood like mizunara and sakura. Under its Chita brand, Suntory has a grain whiskey matured in sakura casks for three years. Kurayoshi Distillery, Mars Shinshu, and Nagahama Distillery also have similarly-styled whiskies. Japanese whisky producer House of Suntory will release a limited-edition bottling of Hibiki Harmony Japanese whisky that was finished in sakura wood casks, according to The Spirits Business.

As with Company Distilling's first bourbon, this whiskey is a wheater (with liquid sourced from unnamed distilleries from three undisclosed states) that features a maple wood finish. Unlike the original release, this one is bottled at cask strength.Hibiki means “Resonance” in Japanese. From its launch in 1989 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Suntory, Hibiki embodies the Suntory philosophy to live in harmony with nature and people. As the Founding House of Japanese Whisky and A House of Master Blenders, the House of Suntory has gone to great lengths to explore the breadth and depth of what Harmony can mean for a blend. Every Hibiki expression is one of the most sought after blends in the world where every Hibiki expression is meticulously crafted for us to discover a different kind of Harmony. Achieving the right balance and orchestration proved to be a great challenge from the start since the Sakura cask is one with strong character that can easily become overbearing. More porous than oak, allowing for rapid oxidation, cherry can lead to some rather punchy flavours – think big woody, astringent, plum brandy notes – then there’s the small matter of a larger angels’ share to factor in. Structurally, the casks are more prone to leaking too. Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products.