Hibiki

The art of Japanese whisky

True mastery takes dedication, craftsmanship and passion. Hibiki Whisky comprises all three, writes Tokyo-based whisky expertLiam McNulty

Available at Harrods: Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky

For others, the whisky’s resonance remains firmly in the beauty of its blend – the attention to detail, the affinity with nature and the perfection of its complexity. Simply put, its reputation as a drink of artisanship and luxury, resonating far beyond the realms of a spirit, is a testament to the company’s ‘monozukuri’ roots and dedication to true Japanese craftsmanship. Shinjiro Torii, the House of Suntory founder and first master blender, believes that Hibiki has embraced the Japanese spirit of respecting nature and harmony to make an elegant yet soft whisky, and that the richness of Japanese nature, age and craftsmanship epitomise the balanced and refined flavours of Hibiki Japanese Harmony. For those who want true luxury, there is nowhere better to find it.

Hibiki, which translates as ‘resonance’, was first released in 1989 to commemorate the House of Suntory's 90th anniversary. Since then, Hibiki has resonated not only with the accolades that Japanese whisky has garnered, and with its quintessential and decadent blend, but with art itself. Many will know the brand from 2003’s Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola, where Bill Murray’s ageing actor, Bob Harris, is hired to do an advertisement for Hibiki 17 – the drink forming a central conceit in the film, framed by Nishi-Shinjuku’s towering skyline out the window of Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar.

Japan’s rich natural environment is captured in every drop of Hibiki Japanese Harmony, as its component whiskies experience each sekki uniquely. The iconic, 24-sided cut bottle of Hibiki Japanese Harmony pays homage to each of these 24 sekki. As whisky requires several years of quiet maturation in its cask, Hibiki Japanese Harmony experiences these seasons repeatedly. A whisky matured at the Hakushu Distillery deep in the mountainous forests of Hokuto in the Yamanashi Prefecture, rests peacefully during the cold winters, while a whisky from the Yamazaki Distillery outside Osaka undergoes maturation in the moist, misty environment of the Uji, Katsura and Kizu Rivers. Each is masterfully blended with the gentle sweetness of grain whisky from the Chita Distillery to yield Hibiki Japanese Harmony.

In Western culture, having four seasons is perceived as the norm. But in Japan, the reality is drastically more complex: Japan traditionally has 24 ‘sekki,’ or solar terms. Based on the sun’s movements, one year is first split into quarters, with the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes. Within those segments are another four delineations marking the start of each season. Finally, each of the eight segments are split into three sections, each named after seasonal characteristics to create the full 24 sekki.

becoming one with the process to reach a point of fluid and masterful accomplishment. In our modern world, it’s all too easy to forgo this level of commitment to excellence and settle for something easier. But in doing so, we also settle for something less luxurious. Few understand the value of true luxury better than the master whisky blenders behind the House of Suntory’s preeminent blend, Hibiki Whisky. The artisanal House of Suntory is renowned for its world-class spirits, inspired by Japanese nature and mastered with Japanese craft. Launched in 1989 by second-generation master blender Keizo Saji, Hibiki – meaning ‘resonance’ – is a blend unparalleled in its meticulous, complex and decadent depth. It incorporates both malt and grain whiskies from three of Suntory’s globally acclaimed Chita, Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries.

Foregrounded in Hibiki is a celebration of the harmony between Japanese people and nature. True master blenders and artisans hold a special reverence for nature, believing that every pebble, raindrop and grain holds nameless spirits, only referred to as ‘the eight million Gods’. It is this deep affinity with nature that resides at the core of Hibiki, allowing it to transcend from a sophisticated whisky blend into something truly exceptional: an art form.

Mastery is rare. Few have the dedication, patience and passion to perfect a craft. Whisky is no exception – but the House of Suntory has become universally revered for crafting some of the world’s finest whiskies. It’s a feat it has accomplished mostly in isolation. Only in the past few decades has Japanese whisky truly begun to receive the global recognition and luxury status it deserves – a reputation garnered by Hibiki Whisky.

Shinjiro Torii, the House of Suntory's founder and first master blender, believes you can never be a real blender until you can have a conversation with the malt whisky. Suntory traces its history back to 1899 with its first success with a sweet wine. But Torii dreamt of something more. He dreamt of harmony, of resonance with nature – of a drink unparalleled in the pursuit of perfected craftsmanship.

His ambition embedded a culture of ‘monozukuri’ – constant experimentation to achieve higher quality and harmony — from the very start of Suntory’s journey. This unwavering ethos, grounded in artisanship, nature and harmony, remains in place over a century later. In 1923 Shinjiro Torii began building the Yamazaki Distillery, Japan’s first genuine whisky distillery, supported by head distiller Masataka Taketsuru, who’d trained in Scotland. The distillery’s location – roughly halfway between Osaka and Kyoto and at the foot of Mount Tennozan – was selected for its historically high-quality water and pristine natural environment. Torii pioneered the use of mizunara oak casks as they meticulously honed their blending techniques entirely in-house in a process known as ‘tsukuriwake’ – making several different varieties of whisky, with their sublime blends highlighting each distillery’s relationship with its surrounding nature.

Oak casks are one of the master blender’s most powerful tools, adding complex layers of flavours, aromas, colours and textures to the distillery character. The creation of these casks is in itself an art form, known as coopering. The Japanese believe that our sleep is deeply influenced by our environment – and the slow slumber of a maturing whisky is no different. A huge amount of the blend’s flavour, aromas and complexity comes from the oak cask it matures in. To achieve the level of perfection and masterful blend found within Hibiki Japanese Harmony, the House of Suntory uses casks from four distinct oaks. North American white oak, grown in the east of the US and Canada, has a high level of vanillins which imbue the whisky with soft notes of vanilla, honey, citrus and apple, while Spanish oak adds notes of warming clove spice and creamy sweetness. The subtle flavours of French oak, which is lovingly hand-split rather than sawed due to its delicate nature, help to give the complex depth and peppery spice to Hibiki Blender’s Choice and Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve.Mizunara oak is a rarer and more expensive cask to work with, steeped in Japanese history. It’s a challenging material for casks, with a high water content and more porous fibres than other oak varieties – its name literally translates to ‘water oak’. However, it continues to be one of the most sought-after oaks for developing a complex and masterful whisky, imbuing the spirit with notes of sandalwood, coconut, banana, spice and Japanese incense.

For Torii, the unique qualities of Hibiki Whisky come from the deep connection its blenders have with their work. That is why Hibiki blenders survey up to 300 different whisky samples per day, passionately exploring complex flavours and rich aromas to produce grain whiskies that achieve the perfect harmony.Today, Hibiki Japanese Harmony represents the culmination of the House of Suntory’s century-long journey of blending mastery. After spending decades honing their expertise, the chief blender at the House of Suntory is entrusted with developing blends from the company’s million-plus whisky casks. This role is about blending and engaging with nature and whisky, understanding their delicate nuances, and utilising the perfect ratios to craft the world’s finest blended whiskies. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is the ultimate manifestation of this 'monozukuri' craftsmanship, as it brings together the deep, multi-layered complexity of whisky from the Yamazaki Distillery, the light foresty notes of the Hakushu Distillery’s whiskies, and the delicate grain sweetness of whisky from the Chita Distillery, creating a truly unique symphony of flavours.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony offers a luxurious tasting experience, transporting the drinker into the distilleries of the House of Suntory. On the nose, one can find the delicate sweetness of malt, the vanilla of crème brûlée and a slight tang of Fuji apples. The exquisite sandalwood notes of Mizunara Japanese oak are also present, alongside a mature woodiness, slight grassiness, the bright sweetness of lychee and a beautiful bouquet of fresh roses.

When Hibiki Japanese Harmony finally hits the palate, it opens up a basket of fruits – think ripe banana, fresh pear, honeydew melon and green apples drizzled with sweet honey. These give way to candied orange peel, a hint of white chocolate and soft oak lingering in the background. Mizunara oak continues in the tender, subtle finish, giving way to dried apple with a blissful hint of white pepper spice.

Masters at work

Pioneers of excellence

Why are casks important to whisky?

The tasting experience

The art of 24 seasons

The landscape of the perfect blend

Creating resonance

Discover more about Hibiki Japanese Harmony and the Hibiki Whisky range

Advertiser content for

Hibiki: the quality of harmonious resonance, particularly between nature and people; the foundational ethos behind Hibiki Whisky

Monozukuri: constant experimentation to achieve higher quality and harmony; an art, science and craft of making things

Mizunara oak casks: a native Japanese oak from Hokkaido believed to be the world’s most flavourful oak

Tsukuriwake: artisanship through a diversity of making

GLOSSARY

t is said that to master a skill takes 10,000 hours of practice. Meticulously

perfecting every step, imbuing yourself with rich and intuitive knowledge,

Hibiki Whisky is Japan’s most highly awarded portfolio of blended whisky

Hibiki 30 Year Old and Hibiki 21 Year Old have on multiple occasions been named World’s Best Blended Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards

Gold Medal awards for Hibiki Japanese Harmony at the world’s largest spirits competition, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Gold awards at the International Spirits Challenge dating as far back as 2024back as 2004back as 2004

Superior Gold Winner for Best Blended Japanese Whisky 21+ Years at the 2023 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition

Hibiki Whisky's reputation of artisanship and luxury is well earned

The New York Bar at Park Hyatt Tokyo and Hibiki Whisky are both crucial elements in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation

Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a blend of whiskies from three distilleries across Japan, which create its complex, decadent qualities. Click to discover more.

Japan's 24 'sekki' or solar terms (above) are reflected in Hibiki Japanese Harmony's 24-sided cut bottle (below right)

The House of Suntory uses casks made from North American, Spanish, French and Japanese mizunara oaks to achieve the delicate blend of Hibiki Japanese Harmony

The birthplace of Hibiki Whisky, the Yamazaki distillery was Japan's first commercial whisky venture

Hibiki Whisky is the House of Suntory's luxury, preeminent blend

Hibiki Japanese Harmony offers a range of luxurious tasting notes

The birthplace of Hibiki Whisky, the Yamazaki distillery was Japan's first commercial whisky venture

Mastery of whisky craftsmanship is rare, but is at the heart of the House of Suntory's ethos

Masters at work

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Hakushu Distillery | Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture Also known as the 'mountain forest distillery', Hakshuru has been nestled deep in Mt. Kaikomagatake since 1973. The whisky matured here rests deep in the untouched mountainous forests of the Southern Japanese Alps during the cold winters to create a delicious and gently smoky single malt whisky with herbal ‘green and crisp’ notes.

Chita Distillery | Aichi Prefecture Found right in the centre of Japan, the sophisticated and complex single grain whisky matured in the Chita distillery is surrounded by gently-sloping hilly terrain and calm seas of the Chita Peninsula to produce a whisky that is elegant, airy and serene. It’s traditionally used as the ‘dashi’ – or broth – that enhances the harmony of Suntory blends.

Yamazaki Distillery | Shimamoto, Mishima District Nestled in the periphery of Kyoto and Osaka, Yamazaki is Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery. The moist, misty surroundings of the Uji, Katsura and Kizu rivers create complex and iconic blends – including the flagship Yamazaki Single Malt – aged in American, Spanish, and Japanese Mizunara oak.

Yamazaki Distillery | Shimamoto, Mishima District

Nestled in the periphery of Kyoto and Osaka, Yamazaki is Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery. The moist, misty surroundings of the Uji, Katsura and Kizu rivers create complex and iconic blends – including the flagship Yamazaki Single Malt – aged in American, Spanish, and Japanese Mizunara oak.

2. Chita Distillery | Aichi Prefecture

Found right in the centre of Japan, the sophisticated and complex single grain whisky matured in the Chita distillery is surrounded by gently-sloping hilly terrain and calm seas of the Chita Peninsula to produce a whisky that is elegant, airy and serene. It’s traditionally used as the ‘dashi’ – or broth – that enhances the harmony of Suntory blends.

3. Hakushu Distillery | Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture

Also known as the 'mountain forest distillery', Hakshuru has been nestled deep in Mt. Kaikomagatake since 1973. The whisky matured here rests deep in the untouched mountainous forests of the Southern Japanese Alps during the cold winters to create a delicious and gently smoky single malt whisky with herbal ‘green and crisp’ notes.

Yamazaki

Chita

Hakushu