At least ten different malt and grain whiskies are stored in five different types of casks and then blended. I believe I speak for all the Japanese whisky fans out there, including Bill Murray, when I say this: You'll be sorely missed, Hibiki 17.A whisky like no other: The Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a composition of the finest selected whiskies from the house of Suntory. Let's hope we don't see many other aged Japanese expressions fade away before the whisky in the barrels has come of age. ![]() It has been instrumental in pushing the premium blended category across the world, educating drinkers, and changing the misconceived idea that blends are inferior to single malts. So that’s something to look forward to.įor the moment, let's raise a glass to the timeless Hibiki expression. Rumors also suggest that aged Japanese stock may start reappearing after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The change is slow, but drinkers are no longer associating young age with inferior quality. As the NAS whisky movement grows, producers can experiment and bring together younger vintages and flavors. While the loss of the great blend isn’t the best news, the future is bright for Japanese whisky. ![]() The soon to be discontinued, Hibiki 17-Year-Old Photo: Suntory Whisky The entries exceeded the bottle numbers by thousands, leaving many fans disappointed. The Whisky Exchange and dekanta introduced ballots for a few Karuizawa bottlings in 2017, inviting interested parties to sign up for the chance to purchase a bottle. With demand at an all-time high, several online retailers have even created ballots for extremely rare, well-aged releases. Bottles are bought up no matter how high the retail markup. The skyrocketing prices of Japanese whisky don’t seem to make a difference to many buyers and investors. According to Suntory's PR team, an extra $80 million will be invested this year to expand the Hakushu aging facilities. Stills have been added to both the Yamazaki and Hakushu sites and the company’s Ohmi Aging Cellar has undergone a large expansion. Since 2013, Suntory has invested over $182 million into ramping up production. Though aged stock is lessening, the major Japanese whisky maker is optimistic about the category’s growth in the future, and will not make the mistake of running out of stock again. Suntory whisky, since 1923 Photo: Suntory Whisky The focus is on aged expressions which, according to many online retailers and stores in Japan, sell out immediately after being placed on the shelves, both real and virtual. A recent feature by the Nikkei Asia Review showcased the huge sales growth Japanese whisky has experienced in the past decade. Expect the price of the Hibiki 17 to rise on the secondary market and bottles to become ever harder to find. The rise of shochu and the steep drop of whisky consumption in Japan during the 80s saw many producers reduce production output, a move that is costing the whisky world today. The blend must, after all, contain vintages aged 17 years or more. This is expected to change now that Suntory has decided to stop producing the expression, amidst shortages of aged stock. With each award both the price and demand for the Hibiki 21 has risen, making the 17 the last of the current Hibiki aged range that could be bought at a price that wouldn't break the bank. The Hibiki 21-Year-Old is by far the most globally renowned expression in the portfolio, having received the award for the "World’s Best Blended Whisky" on five separate occasions, at the World Whiskies Awards. ![]() ![]() While fans were saddened to see it go, the aged 17-, 21-, and 30-Year-Old bottlings remained to keep drinkers happy. The core range previously included the Hibiki 12 Year-Old, which was sadly discontinued in 2015, before the no-age Hibiki Harmony was introduced. The bottles are iconic, featuring 24 facets that represent the 24 small seasons of Japan and the hours in a day. Hibiki whisky is one of the most popular premium blended ranges to come out of Japan.
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