Suntory Whisky Hibiki Japanese Harmony NV 750ml

The newest blended whisky offering from Hibiki is burnished gold in the glass and has a bold aroma that mixes vanilla, fresh pear and a hint of smoke. The smokiness comes forward at the first sip, wrapping around a core of oak and vanilla custard and finishing long, with a mouthwatering bitter chocolate note.

Poised and complex, with typically lifted fruitiness: strawberry ice cream, pineapple, peach, balanced by delicate oak, bamboo shoot-like delicacy, then lemon. The palate is more rounded than that very forward nose, with toffee notes adding some weight. A touch of smoke comes along in the mid-palate, before fruits and caramelized coffee biscuits. Water allows the flavors to flood the palate. Exemplary blending skills and classically Hibiki.

Amber/topaz color; impeccable clarity. First inhalations are vibrantly spicy, with piquant baking spices emanating from every molecule,especially nutmeg, clove, mace, along with delicate touches of oaky resins/ tree sap; second passes encounter more breakfast cereal grains, most notably, barley malt, that marry nicely with the still-evident spices and wood notes; a lovely, integrated bouquet. Entry has a smokiness right out of the gate that's unexpected and cigar tobacco-like; midpalate is balanced, with a razor's edge of acidity that maintains the freshness while supporting the bakery shop surface flavor. Ends with a quiet burst of resiny woodiness that subdues the spiciness but accentuates the dry grain. Highly sophisticated and complex.