Harmony - a rather apt word to describe this well-balanced Japanese blended whisky from the Hibiki range. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is made with malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, as well as grain whisky from the Chita distillery. The whiskies are drawn from five different types of cask, including American white oak casks, sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks. An elegant expression, with wafts of honey, orange, a herbaceous touch or two, and light oak.
Red berries, green apple and layers of rich honey.
Melted butter and caramelised dates. A hint of fragrant sandalwood develops into warming, oaky spice.
Brown sugar, citrus peels, white grape, and black pepper.
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Unique. Floral. Certainly not smokey. Is smooth but could give a hangover unlike Scottish Scothches.
So sweet. Kind of tastes like cough syrup, orange peel and a stale caramel. First sip...ok, this is different. Second sip...not sure if I like this. Third sip...yuck, give me something to rinse my palate and give me some real whiskey so that my taste buds don't sue me for abuse. This is an embarrassing whiskey for Suntory. I hope that it gets pulled from the shelves soon because it is giving them a bad name.
Color: Rich and deep in amber character, but clearly contains caramel due to the hue of the whisky: in conjunction with the flavor, which is curiously sweet and does not linger on the tongue, I'm convinced there is caramel coloring in the drink. Aroma: Fruity with notes of pear and banana, very delicate notes of marshmallow and caramelized sugars; notes of toasted cinnamon and raisin bread, but very subdued. There is an aspect of charcoal but also very subdued and does not present alongside the phenolic notes of the malt, but rather with the more fruity flavor as would be found with a bourbon. Overall, the nose is lacking in pungency and has no truly distinctive notes over many other less expensive Japanese blends. Taste and texture: Texture is thicker than Ardbeg and coats that glass in a pleasant way, but the taste is forgettable and doesn't linger in the mouth nearly long enough to be pleasurable. The flavors themselves immediately remind me of Nikka From The Barrel (51%) but without the distinction and pungency of Nikka's honey flavor. Both of Suntory's malts, Hakushu and Yamazaki, present strongly in Japanese Harmony, but their effect is less pleasant than in the 12 Year Old Hibiki: the Hakushu blend, which is exceptionally sweet and has notes of pine and earthy flavors not found in other peated whiskys like Ardbeg or Laphraoig, is overwhelmed by the acidity and acridness of the Yamazaki malt, which tends to be more spicy and possesses the cinnamon characteristics that present in Japanese Harmony. The end result is a whiskey has the potential to be fantastic, but falls short in terms of the potency and longevity of the flavor in the mouth. Would not recommend; would recommend in its place the Hibiki 12 which has more palatable honey notes, Nikka From The Barrel (51%) which has rounder fruity profiles as well as a more distinct and pleasant fruit notes, or Hakushu 12 which is surprisingly refreshing and has exceptionally balanced flavor profile between sweet and earthy.
Quite smooth and not peaty. A bit on the floral / fruit side. A touch of burn that goes down with a sip. Absolutely enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. Other than that it was a bit pricey, I would strongly suggest it to others.
