Many often trace the origins of the global Japanese whisky boom to this scene in the 2003 cult classic film Lost in Translation, where Bill Murray's character finds himself bewildered while filming a whisky commercial in Tokyo. Struggling to understand an excitable Japanese director who spoke at length for over a minute, all the instruction Bill received in English was a curt "He want you to turn, looking at camera, OK?"

Watching this film today, many would recognize the whisky on the table as none other than a Suntory Hibiki whisky. And the iconic tagline uttered by Bill Murray with smouldering intensity, "For Relaxing Times, Make It Suntory Time." This phrase wasn’t even coined by Suntory.

Hibiki was introduced in 1989 as a premium expression from Suntory. Keizo Saji, then master blender and CEO, decided to develop a premium blended whisky that would reflect the sophistication of Suntory's techniques. The timing made sense: the company was celebrating its 90th anniversary and the 1980s was a period of economic prosperity in Japan. The launch of the Suntory Hibiki was thus timed to coincide with the inauguration of the grand Suntory Music Hall in Tokyo, specially designed for excellent acoustics by a renowned architect.

Inspired by the 4th movement of Brahms' Symphony No. 1, Saji’s team of blenders selected some 30 malt and grain whiskies from across Suntory's three distilleries – Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita – to create Hibiki. The name "Hibiki" itself was chosen as it means "Resonance" in Japanese, further emphasizing the whisky's connection to musical composition and harmony.

Suntory spared no expense in the bottle’s design. Hibiki’s bottle was designed to be an elegant glass decanter with 24 facets around its body, signifying the 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar. The label was made with special Japanese washi paper and featured a specially calligraphed character of "Hibiki" in Japanese.

Today, Hibiki is available in numerous age statements, ranging from no-age-statement (NAS) expressions to the rarer 17, 21 and 30 Year Olds. While we know that the whiskies are selected from over 30 casks, the exact composition and ages of the components remain a closely guarded secret. That was until I recently had the extraordinary opportunity to attend a tasting masterclass led by none other than the current Chief Blender of Suntory, Shinji Fukuyo. Shinji, who joined Suntory in 1984, played a pivotal role in shaping the Hibiki style and is a highly respected figure in the world of Japanese whisky.

We were given the opportunity to taste a deconstructed version of Hibiki and explore the individual components that make up this blend. But first, a little bit on the job of a whisky blender at Suntory.

The Suntory Blender’s Job

The blender is responsible for crafting new whisky expressions, maintaining the quality and consistent characteristics of each brand, and perhaps most importantly, the management of whisky stocks for the future.

It's a bit like being a conductor of an orchestra, but instead of musicians and instruments, you have different component whiskies with their own unique characteristics. Since the first edition of Hibiki, Suntory has been guided by the aim of achieving harmony in crafting a premium blended whisky, reflecting the Japanese concept of wa, which emphasizes harmony and balance in all aspects of life.

The blender carefully selects and blends a variety of diverse component whiskies to create a harmonious new expression while taking into account a multitude of factors including maturity, fruitiness, creaminess and smokiness. Each component whisky is like an individual instrument in the orchestra, and contributes its unique voice to the final symphony of flavours.

Achieving this harmony requires a highly developed palate and sense of smell, as well as years of experience. It’s more art than science, says Shinji. He believes that scientific analysis alone isn't enough to determine what makes a great whisky. While gas chromatography can identify the individual chemical compounds in whisky, it cannot capture the complexity and nuance of the final blend. Ultimately, it is the blender's intuition and expertise that guide the process.

According to Shinji, a Hibiki is broadly composed of 4 layers. At the bottom is a “Grain Whisky” base intended to harmonise the various malt whiskies. Next is a layer of “Core Malt” that determines the base aroma and taste of the Hibiki. This is followed by a “Hidden Accent” element that provides depth and notes of dried fruits. Finally, at the top is a sprinkling of “Dresser Malt” that adds additional character to the Hibiki.

And this is where our tasting experience comes in. We had the extraordinary chance to deconstruct a Hibiki and taste individual characteristics of each layer, and understand how they contribute to the overall harmony of Hibiki:

• Core Malt: Yamazaki American White Oak
• Core Malt: Hakushu Lightly Peated Malt
• Hidden Malt: Yamazaki Spanish Oak Sherry Cask
• Grain Whisky: Chita Grain
• Dresser Malt: Yamazaki Mizunara Oak

We should note that while some of these whiskies were really phenomenal, particularly because they’re bottled at about 50-57% ABV, these are ultimately representative whiskies and not available commercially.

1. Core Malt: Yamazaki American White Oak

Tasting Notes

Nose: Elegant and bright, with honeyed sweetness intertwined with oak, with subtle sweetness of vanilla and coconut flakes.

Palate: Clean, offering a wave of sweet maltiness and orchard fruits, particularly apples, and a touch of brown sugar.

Finish: Lingering impressions apples, a gentle spice and a hint of orange peels.

Impressions

This component showcases some lovely orchard fruit characteristics, along with subtle spice notes and toasted coconuts derived from the American white oak maturation.

2. Core Malt: Hakushu Lightly Peated Malt

Tasting Notes

Nose: Really elegant on the nose. Immediately aromatic with a pronounced sweetness of smoked lemon peels and caramel, alongside light notes of red fruits and very delicate incense smoke.

Palate: Bright and fruity notes of very ripe strawberries and raspberries with a faint marker pen note. Subtle honeyed sweetness. Smoke returns gently, bringing with it this lightly ashy character, like light sandalwood and barely noticeable temple incense. Citrus notes weave through the fruit and smoke.

Finish: Long, with the aromatic ashiness and mild heather muskiness.

Impressions

This component is incredibly aromatic and evocative, and some of the most elegant peated whisky I've ever encountered. Really captivating temple incense and sandalwood notes, with a memorable finish of dried florals and lavender. This whisky must be responsible for adding an aromatic layer to the Hibiki blend.

It’s also really interesting to see these lovely ripe red fruit notes that are not typical of a Hakushu, but present due to its added maturity.

3. Hidden Malt: Yamazaki Spanish Oak Sherry Cask

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich and round, with a syrupy quality and pronounced notes of Oloroso sherry. Red fruits abound with raspberries and raisins, interwoven with hints of wood polish (ethyl acetate) and cocoa. It’s really luscious and fleshy, yet it remains balanced without turning into the overly jammy territory.

Palate: Round and full with a lovely depth. Ripe red fruits, such as cranberries and raspberries, mingle with walnuts. A fruit cake soaked in brandy. Lightly bitter oak tannins give me an impression of a rich breakfast tea.

Finish: Powerful oak spice gradually builds by the finish. The syrupy sweetness persists, paired with notes of chestnuts and mulled wine.

Impressions

Incredibly rounded and rich. It's undeniably luscious, brimming with red fruits, yet maintains a lovely balance without becoming overly jammy. This component undoubtedly adds a beautiful Sherried accent to the Hibiki blend.

4. Grain Whisky: Chita Grain

Tasting Notes

Nose: A very confectionary and creamy nose. Creamy and abundant vanilla notes intertwined with baked pastry and apple turnover.

Palate: An excellent texture – chewy yet airy. Creamy and flavourful, it opens with honey, sweet vanilla and spun sugar. It's just incredibly easy to enjoy, it’s like a banana split with vanilla ice cream.

Finish: Gentle toasted grain notes linger a while with a subtle suggestion of cornflakes.

Impressions

This is deliciously sweet and approachable. It's so playful and easy to drink, with an addictive candied sweetness. You can imagine this is where the Hibiki gets its base of honeyed sweetness from. And yet it remains relatively neutral in flavour, providing a clean platform for the more dominant malt whiskies to shine.

5. Dresser Malt: Yamazaki Mizunara Oak

Tasting Notes

Nose: A creamy, honeyed nose with a distinct apple character and a touch of light caramel. Reminiscent of crème caramel.

Palate: Surprisingly fruity, a tropical fruit basket! Honeyed sweetness blends with yellow passionfruits, ripe apricots and candied pineapple. Distinct creamy coconut notes emerge, accompanied by toasted barley notes and baking spices.

Finish: Soft scents of coconut cream persist. A slightly waxy and resinous quality lingers along with a lightly drying oak sensation.

Impressions

Wow, this was surprisingly tropical! It’s such a delightful array of tropical fruits and coconut. The integration of these notes with the underlying sandalwood and incense character is seamless. It's also well-balanced and provides a long, complex finish.

The distinctive notes of this component are evident, and even a small amount should go a long way in contributing to the Hibiki blend. I suspect this adds exotic tropical fruit and sandalwood nuances while maintaining a sense of freshness and brightness, as well as a prolonged finish of light oak and coconut cream.

The Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky – Review

All of those individual components we’ve tasted come together to form the renowned Hibiki which we had the opportunity to taste next.

Let’s see if we can pick up the nuances of the whiskies we’ve tasted in the standard Hibiki Japanese Harmony!

Tasting Notes

Nose: A mellow and subtle sweetness with complexities slowly unfolding. Opens with light caramel and honey, followed by orchard fruits, particularly apples – a clear influence from the Chita Grain and Yamazaki White Oak components. Soft apples intertwine with gentle spice, a touch of tinned lychee and even a hint of aged shoyu sauce, likely stemming from the Yamazaki Spanish oak influence. Rounding things out are some light vanilla and delicate sandalwood notes, possibly from the Yamazaki Mizunara Oak or the aromatics of the lightly peated Hakushu.

Palate: Honeyed and subtly spiced, with a nicely viscous texture. It opens with a rich, spiced honeyed sweetness, accented by orange peel and anise seed – which seems to be a harmonious combination of the Yamazaki White Oak, Chita Grain, and the Yamazaki Spanish Oak. As it develops, a warm apple sweetness appears, followed by an interplay of some richer flavours – red berries, walnuts and a hint of fruitcake soaked in brandy. Throughout, it retains this remarkable freshness and balance.

Finish: Lightly drying and spiced and aromatic with a touch of smoked wood and sandalwood and a lingering warmth of vanilla and coconut.

My Thoughts:

This Hibiki Japanese Harmony is beautifully balanced, showcasing delicate fresh notes of orchard fruits alongside distinguished notes of aged whisky and nuttiness from the Sherry cask.

The Yamazaki White Oak and Chita Grain seem to provide depth and structure with their honeyed sweetness and orchard fruit notes. The Yamazaki Spanish Oak contributes a distinct red fruit and spiced richness, while the Hakushu peated malt delivers an almost imperceptible smokiness that add an aromatic dimension.

It's difficult to pinpoint the exact contribution of the Yamazaki Mizunara Oak, but I suspect it enhances the overall "Japanese-ness" with subtle warm sandalwood notes that tie everything together.

Final Thoughts

This has been a fascinating look into the individual components of the classic Hibiki! I was particularly struck by how flavourful the Chita Single Grain Whisky was and the fact that it has such a significant influence on the overall flavour profile of the Hibiki. I’d gladly sip on a Chita all day, but it’s a shame that older expressions of Chita are increasingly rare in the market these days.

While the exact composition of Hibiki may evolve over time, the blenders at Suntory have masterfully maintained its consistent character. This is no easy feat. Just take the recent release of Hibiki 40 Year Old for instance. This is Hibiki’s oldest expression yet and Chief Blender Shinji explained that crafting the oldest Hibiki ever presented unique challenges.

Hibiki is known for its elegant, blooming aromas, qualities that tend to diminish with age as oak influence becomes more pronounced. Additionally, the whisky components used to create the Hibiki 40 Year Old were created under different distillation regimes at Suntory’s distilleries, and thus possess different characteristics compared to the whiskies produced in recent decades.

Therefore, according to Shinji, Hibiki 40 Year Old represents Suntory’s expertise in careful maturation, showcasing elegance and refinement of an aged whisky. It's a testament to Suntory’s blenders’ ability to find elegance and harmony even in even the oldest and most complex components.

The Hibiki 40 Year Old is now available globally. Click here to learn more about it. 

@CharsiuCharlie