Hibiki Japanese Harmony (히비키 하모니)

(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)

With Suntory drawing down their production of age statement releases, the Hibiki (Japanese) Harmony found itself having to fill the shoes of the world famous and now discontinued Hibiki 17, and according to much of what I have heard, they are mightily big shoes to fill. As with the other Suntory NAS releases, the Hibiki harmony was born amidst the great Japanese whisky crisis, where worldwide demand for whisky outstripped supply, forcing many Japanese distilleries to discontinue age statement releases and focus on meeting that gargantuan demand with blends of cheaper and more widely available younger casks that normally, pre-crisis, would have been allowed to mature for 17-21 years before being used. Like its older comatose age statement siblings, the Hibiki Harmony is a blend of both malt whiskies taken from the world famous Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries in Kansai and Chubu prefectures respectively, and grain whisky taken from the far less well renowned Chita distillery in Aichi prefecture. A total of ten barrels from the three distilleries go into this whisky, carefully blended together to give it a profile not dissimilar to the others in the range.

Vitals:

ABV: 43%

Colour: Light gold.

Chill-filtered: Yes.

Nose: Floral and sweet, with almost tropical notes of banana and mango that flow seamlessly into caramel pudding and apple pie, with a touch of old leather in the background. Yuzu, vanilla, salt and hints of raisins round out this compelling nose. 23.5/25

Palate: Apricots and raisins lead the vanguard, followed by banana pancakes, sweet honey, fresh mint, sweetcorn and barley tea, with Yuzu tea following shortly afterwards. Some sherry notes eventually come out, along with a tiny bit of salt. Every taste brings out a different note each time. There's even a very delicate hint of smoke sometimes. It is smooth on the palate but gets spicier as it draws to the finish. 24.5/25

Finish: Brown sugar, pepper and cinnamon give a medium length mix of caramel sweetness and peppery spice. 17/25

Value*: It's actually priced a little bit better in Korea than both of Suntory's NAS single malts. It's still expensive, but it's of good enough quality that I wouldn't feel absurdly guilty for buying it. I'd still feel bad, but not AS bad. 10/25

Conclusion:

As expected of a Hibiki, this was a very enjoyable drinking experience that once again showcased the potential of blended whiskies and their ability to rival single malts if crafted like an artisan product, rather than as a cheap cocktail mixer. It's complex as heck and beats the socks off of every single one of Suntory's NAS single malt offerings. It's hard to say whether this or Nikka From The Barrel is my favourite blended whisky without an age statement. I'd love to do a comparison of the two one day.

Basic Rating: 88%

Price Adjusted Rating*: 76%

Daily Drinker: Yes, if I had a bottle.

Possible pairing: Creamy milk chocolate.

Where to find in Korea: Namdaemun (남대문), Jura Shop (주라숍). Wine & More.

한국어 시음평:

향: 바나나, 망고, 캬라멜 푸딩 → 꽃 향, 구운 사과 (애플파이), 약간의 가죽 향, 유자, 바닐라 → 약간의 소금과 건포도

맛: 살구, 건포도 → 바나나 펜케이크, 꿀, 민트, 옥수수, 보리차 → 유자차, 쉐리, 아주 약간의 소금

* 맛을 볼때마다 다른 팔레트가 느껴집니다. 심지어 가끔은 아주 약하게 스모크 향도 느껴지네요. 맛은 부드럽지만 피니시로 갈수록 매워집니다.

끝맛: 흑설탕, 후추, 계피 → 캬라멜과 후추. 피니시는 중간 정도의 길이입니다.

결론: NAS (무연산) 이지만 굉장히 복합적인 위스키입니다. 야마자키와 하쿠슈가 평균 이상이라고 말할 수 있는 반면에 히비키 하모니는 "Great"입니다. 히비키 하모니와 니카 프롬 더 배럴 등을 놓고 봤을 때 일본 위스키는 블렌디드 위스키에서 우월하다고 볼 수 있을 것 같습니다.

Buy / Mooch / Pass: Mooch, then buy.

Review by Glasgowhisky

2020/04/21