Hibiki 17 Year Old Japanese Whisky

A blend of more than 30 distinct whiskies made at the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, some of which have aged in Umeshu casks (Umeshu casks are specially coopered casks used in the maturation of plum liqueur), is used to create Hibiki 17 Year Old Japanese Whisky. “This is all done by hand — the traditional way,” Yamazaki Distillery manager Osamu Abe says of the cooperage that is happening there. “We refer to this as yagura, or handicraft. You have to hear and see how they are manufactured. “Use all five senses,” as we say in Japan. Naturally, we pick up knowledge from others, but our own intuition is crucial.

Each whisky used to make Hibiki Whisky is brought to proof using pure Japanese spring water after it has matured for at least 17 years. hibiki , which means “resonance” in English, reflects the special setting in which the whisky is aged and distilled. hibiki japanese whiskey scent of lemon leaves, peaches, melons, and apricots gives way to aromas of wood, toffee vanilla, and black cherry on the palate. Fruity and sweet with a hint of lychee toward the aftertaste.

In 2012 and 2013, Hibiki 17 Year won the Gold Medal at the International Spirits Competition. It also won the World Whiskies Awards’ “Best Japanese Blended Whisky” title.

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Notes on Tasting

Fruity scent, especially of pineapples and plums, with notes of custard and honey. A soft, mellow flavor profile with apricot, caramel, and honeyed oak overtones. The sophisticated and nuanced finish features hints of sour candies, dried fruits, and spicy oak.

Concerning hibiki whiskey​

Shinjiro Torii established a shop dealing in imported wines in Osaka, Japan, in February 1899. Torii started making his own sweet grape wine, Akadama Port Wine, within ten years, and it quickly gained national acclaim. Having always been interested in whisky, Torri made the decision to grow his company in 1923 and started building Japan’s first whisky distillery, the Yamazaki Distillery.

Torii envisioned a distinctively Japanese approach to whisky, despite being influenced by traditional Scottish distilleries. Torii chose a location for his distillery that offered a climate and terrain very different from those of Scotland. Located at the meeting point of the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers, Yamazaki Distillery is tucked away on the outskirts of Kyoto and offers the warm, humid conditions necessary for whisky production and maturing.

Keizo Saji carried on his father’s idea and built Suntory’s second distillery fifty years after Yamazaki Distillery was built. The Hakushu Distillery, which is surrounded by around 6,000 different plant species and granite boulders that date back thousands of years, has a unique microclimate in the deep forests of Mount Kaikomagatake in the southern Alps of Japan.

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