Review #16: Hibiki 12

Hibiki, meaning “resonance” was launched in 1989 to commemorate Suntory’s 90th anniversary, and has ever since been embraced as the paragon of The Art of Japanese Whisky, the very product of Japanese nature and her people. The Hibiki range of whiskeys is a meticulous blend produced using 10 different whiskies from the various House of Suntory distilleries. The malt whisky in the blend is sourced from the Yamazaki and Hakusku distilleries, with the grain whisky sourced from the Chita distillery.

In 2015, right before the non-aged-statement Hibiki Harmony was launched, the wonderful Hibiki 12 was discontinued. And it very quickly shot up in popularity, and price, because of it. But that's not to say that it's only popular because it's suddenly become a rare and limited whiskey. The Hibiki 12 is actually a rather phenomenal bottle. And one I prefer to the Hibiki 17.

My very first experience of Hibiki was, and I realize how lucky I am, in Japan. When my wife and I were planning a trip to Japan with some friends, all I really knew about Japanese whiskey was Yamazaki. So I had one goal was to find a place where I can at least try it. My collection was non-existent and I wasn't yet deep into the world of whiskey, so just buying a bottle felt like too big a risk.

We went to an area in Tokyo called Golden Gai, it's about a block in size with a bunch of small bars. And when I say small, we completely filled one of them up, we were only 6 people. I sat down and saw a bottle of Yamazaki and immediately asked for a glass. The bartender asked why I pointed it out so quickly, and mentioned that the popularity in Japanese whiskey has really shot up in the US and that Yamazaki is a popular one that I've heard of. He asked if I've ever had the Hibiki 12, I said no and he poured me a small dram. I fell in love. It was such a drinkable whiskey with such complex flavors and aromas.

When we go back to the US I purchased a bottle. $80. About a year and a bit after I finished the bottle, I purchased another for $140 alongside a Hibiki 17 for $190. And now the prices are so incredibly high that I am savoring each and every drop, knowing that I won't be adding another one.

Nose: On the nose you get such a balance of sweet, spice and earthy tones. Caramel, butterscotch and some toasted nuts really envelopes your senses. I didn't get much of a bite from the alcohol, and so you know you're in for a treat and somewhat dangerous whiskey.

Palate: On the first sip it's super sweet, you get a lot of caramel and vanilla flavors that just makes this such a joy to drink. It's smooth and silky. On the next few sips some of the earthier notes do start to come through, there's a bit of spice alongside some very subtle toasted nuts, possibly almonds.

It's a wonderful whiskey. One that I often pull out when we have a friend over that I know will enjoy a good whiskey. I'm a bout half way through so reaching for the bottle with someone over will definitely become less and less frequent. But it's a whiskey that will forever live in my memories as one that not only places a memory of a fun trip to Japan, but reminds me that it's important to just sit and savor the good moments with friends and family.

Now it's important to mention that the prices for these have shot up to a level where I will never purchase another bottle. This will be my last. If you have disposable income, I can think of worse things to spend this type of money on. Although I absolutely adore this whiskey, you can spend less for better.