Hibiki Harmony came into markets replacing the 12 Year-old variety. As a no-age statement whisky, maybe it's offered to a broader audience, just about all lives in turmoil with endless comparisons to the whisky it replaced. Removing age statements gives producers flexibility making whisky (why must 12 years function as minimum age in the bottle?), it results in a a sense distrust together with the consumer familiar with seeing a number about the bottle.
Harmony is softer, gentler, and offers a quieter complexity when compared to discontinued 12 year-old. There are whiskies which can be had best in a loud crowd, and whiskies you'll savor most using a small selection of of friends. Harmony is a singular experience. Oahu is the whisky that carries a lot to convey, but speaks quietly. Sure, it isn't really Hibiki 12, but it's fairly simple that it has more to provide.
What's within the whisky?
Hibiki will be the high-end blended brand from Beam Suntory. Hibiki 17 and 21 year old are beautiful whiskies, and the 21 is just about the best whiskies I've tasted. All Hibiki releases really are a mix of malted barley and grain whisky, with many varieties of oak used. It is a blend 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 gets a bad reputation, and Hibiki makes an effort never to market itself therefore, it becomes an illustration of why blended whiskies should not be ignored.
Nose: Notes of your vanilla-citrus terrine. Wonderful caramel sweetness combined with bright orange zest, coupled with heavier toasted spice notes. A traditional oaky spice gets control the nose after having a time, knowning that will give you something quite different. It's buttery, has a touch of char, nice vanilla, a certain amount of candied ginger combined with the mix. A mixture of vanilla citrus finishes off of the nose over 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 on the palate than on the nose. The finish is gentle, and heavier on a mix of buttery-sweet and cinnamon spice.
Conclusion: The nose does wonders, and the palate might be a more ordinary, but overall the very best Hibiki you can actually buy available on the market. It's priced well inside a market the location where the demand and supply chart for Japanese whisky is out-of-this-world.
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