Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select
The Harmony was filled for a limited edition for the Travel Retail. Yamazaki set the main focus on the note of sherry. The aroma differs significantly from one in the Harmony Bottling.
The Harmony was filled for a limited edition for the Travel Retail. Yamazaki set the main focus on the note of sherry. The aroma differs significantly from one in the Harmony Bottling.
| Details about this bottle | Edit |
|---|---|
| 15102 | |
| Chita | |
| Japan | |
| Blended Whisky | |
| 43% | |
| 0.7 l | |
| Original bottling | |
|
|
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
Calculated from 290
i
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|---|---|---|
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Nosing
Fruit:
Fruit:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Floral:
Floral:
Oak:
Oak:
Honey:
Honey:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Tropical Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Malt:
Orange:
Malt:
Orange:
Plum:
Peach:
Peach:
Plum:
Heather:
Heather:
Spices:
Nuts:
Spices:
Pineapple:
Sherry:
Pineapple:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Peat Smoke:
Pear:
Pear:
Cherry:
Cherry:
Sherry:
Nuts:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Dried Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Dried Fruit:
Wheat:
Wheat:
Apple:
Apple:
Alcohol:
Cinnamon:
Alcohol:
Cinnamon:
Mint:
Kiwi:
Oil:
Chocolate:
Berries:
Kiwi:
Mint:
Melon:
Oil:
Berries:
Chocolate:
Melon:
Cake:
Grapefruit:
Hazelnut:
Grapefruit:
Maritime Notes:
Hazelnut:
Rye:
Salt:
Grass:
Green Apple:
Lemon:
Rye:
Salt:
Grass:
Lemon:
Cake:
Maritime Notes:
Green Apple:
Red Currant:
Date:
Coffee:
Herb:
Red Currant:
Grape:
Banana:
Pepper:
Raisin:
Banana:
Date:
Herb:
Grape:
Chili:
Pepper:
Raisin:
Coffee:
Chili:
Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Fruit:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Honey:
Honey:
Oak:
Oak:
Orange:
Orange:
Spices:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Spices:
Nuts:
Vanilla:
Malt:
Vanilla:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Malt:
Floral:
Chocolate:
Floral:
Chocolate:
Tropical Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Sherry:
Oil:
Oil:
Heather:
Heather:
Sherry:
Peach:
Peach:
Nuts:
Pineapple:
Herb:
Pineapple:
Pear:
Herb:
Pear:
Lemon:
Lemon:
Grapefruit:
Grapefruit:
Plum:
Almonds:
Nutmeg:
Pepper:
Almonds:
Nutmeg:
Pepper:
Plum:
Dark Chocolate:
Ginger:
Dark Chocolate:
Ginger:
Maritime Notes:
Lemon Peel:
Lemon Peel:
Maritime Notes:
Green Apple:
Leather:
Green Apple:
Wheat:
Leather:
Seaweed:
Wheat:
Dried Fruit:
Seaweed:
Dried Fruit:
Coconut:
Melon:
Peat Smoke:
Lime:
Cinnamon:
Banana:
Melon:
Berries:
Lime:
Cake:
Cinnamon:
Banana:
Cake:
Berries:
Coconut:
Cherry:
Clove:
Ham:
Salt:
Fig:
Clove:
Mint:
Strawberry:
Rye:
Mint:
Rye:
Iodine:
Fig:
Barley:
Raisin:
Iodine:
Hazelnut:
Apple:
Hazelnut:
Apple:
Ham:
Salt:
Barley:
Cherry:
Peat Smoke:
Raisin:
Strawberry:
Finish
Oak:
Oak:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Spices:
Fruit:
Fruit:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Oil:
Oil:
Malt:
Malt:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Sherry:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Herb:
Peat Smoke:
Herb:
Orange:
Caramel:
Floral:
Almonds:
Caramel:
Floral:
Orange:
Almonds:
Honey:
Honey:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Sherry:
Peat Smoke:
Vanilla:
Dark Chocolate:
Vanilla:
Dark Chocolate:
Alcohol:
Nuts:
Alcohol:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Heather:
Heather:
Wheat:
Raisin:
Peach:
Raisin:
Peach:
Wheat:
Lemon:
Lemon:
Salt:
Grapefruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Ginger:
Ginger:
Grapefruit:
Maritime Notes:
Plum:
Apple:
Dried Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Salt:
Apple:
Plum:
Maritime Notes:
Dried Fruit:
Cake:
Cake:
Kiwi:
Berries:
Chili:
Berries:
Pear:
Grass:
Kiwi:
Banana:
Leather:
Chili:
Cherry:
Banana:
Pear:
Cherry:
Fig:
Fig:
Leather:
Grass:
|
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Quality rating of this bottle
4.4
Rate
336
290
Quality comparison of bottles
i
All tasting notes
30. Nov 2015
25. Mar 2016
Nosing: sweet smelling, caramel, oak
Taste: mild honey, orange peel
Finish: moderate lasting with a hint of spiciness, oakiness
Comment: Pleasant on the nose, start out sweet and alittle mouth watering for me, sweetness fades alittle and orange peel or citrusy flavor appears. The finish was wonderful, isn't too spicy. Smooth finish. Oakiness appears yet not too overpowering. Overall a pleasant drink. The bottle was a real treat as its unique!
Taste: mild honey, orange peel
Finish: moderate lasting with a hint of spiciness, oakiness
Comment: Pleasant on the nose, start out sweet and alittle mouth watering for me, sweetness fades alittle and orange peel or citrusy flavor appears. The finish was wonderful, isn't too spicy. Smooth finish. Oakiness appears yet not too overpowering. Overall a pleasant drink. The bottle was a real treat as its unique!
26. Mar 2016
29. Jan 2017
05. Jun 2017
25. Apr 2017
Nosing: 
Taste: 
Finish: 
Comment: After reading mixed reviews, I was a bit skeptical of this NAS release. The Hibiki 17 was my first experience with Suntory's offering of whiskies, so I was a bit worried that in comparison to the 17 YO, Japanese Harmony was going to be a bit flat for me. This is not the case at all - I snapped out of being concerned with what the naysayers were ranting on about, and looked at it as a Hibiki whisky that has something different to offer.
The fruitiness of this whiskey is what brings it to life for me. A step away from Nikka FTB and the various offerings from Glenfiddich that I am more acquainted with, the fruitiness is not only derived from sherry casks. This does have a real hit of fresh fruits, with hints of fresh pineapple and orange peel in a jar of sugar on the nose, to the welcoming fragrance of peach, and the sharpness and depth of plums and cherries (perhaps this is the umeshu and some of the oakiness at play!). I also picked up a vibrant and bright, fresh smell of kiwi, as well as hints of dried fruit, spice (including cinnamon), and in the background, some malt.
The taste was lovely as well, starting off with oak, cinnamon (think of a mild Big Red chewing gum here), sourness and fruitiness of plums and oranges, and just before it all went down the throat, a hit of white chocolate (mmmmmmm... Cadbury's white chocolate Freddo Frogs!).
The finish was polite and pleasant as well, and a nice, albeit very subtle change from the dominant fruitiness of this whisky. I got oak, spices, followed by a not-too-lengthy hint of raisins and smoke... but the smoke sticks around for a little while longer, without feeling like you've just puffed down a fat Cuban.
Kudos to Suntory for still offering something that can be otherwise described as an interesting introduction to the Hibiki line, and a very polite welcome into the world of Japanese whisky for the newcomers! I can drink Nikka FTB like a cup of tea, and coming from a 51.4% ABV offering, Hibiki Japanese Harmony was not boring for me at all! This whisky was engineered to be "boring", and I mean that in a good way. Not all whiskies have to be wild, or have an age statement, to behold a unique quality about them!
Readers note, YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, but this dram gets two thumbs up from me!
Also, the notes in this entry is for the Master's Select version.
The notes for the standard Japanese Harmony is as follows...
Nose: Rose, lychee, hint of rosemary, mature woodiness/sandal wood
Palate: Honey like sweetness, candied orange peel, white chocolate
Finish: Subtle and tender long finish, hint of Mizunara (Japanese oak)
Kampai! *raises Glencairn*
Taste:
Finish:
Comment: After reading mixed reviews, I was a bit skeptical of this NAS release. The Hibiki 17 was my first experience with Suntory's offering of whiskies, so I was a bit worried that in comparison to the 17 YO, Japanese Harmony was going to be a bit flat for me. This is not the case at all - I snapped out of being concerned with what the naysayers were ranting on about, and looked at it as a Hibiki whisky that has something different to offer.
The fruitiness of this whiskey is what brings it to life for me. A step away from Nikka FTB and the various offerings from Glenfiddich that I am more acquainted with, the fruitiness is not only derived from sherry casks. This does have a real hit of fresh fruits, with hints of fresh pineapple and orange peel in a jar of sugar on the nose, to the welcoming fragrance of peach, and the sharpness and depth of plums and cherries (perhaps this is the umeshu and some of the oakiness at play!). I also picked up a vibrant and bright, fresh smell of kiwi, as well as hints of dried fruit, spice (including cinnamon), and in the background, some malt.
The taste was lovely as well, starting off with oak, cinnamon (think of a mild Big Red chewing gum here), sourness and fruitiness of plums and oranges, and just before it all went down the throat, a hit of white chocolate (mmmmmmm... Cadbury's white chocolate Freddo Frogs!).
The finish was polite and pleasant as well, and a nice, albeit very subtle change from the dominant fruitiness of this whisky. I got oak, spices, followed by a not-too-lengthy hint of raisins and smoke... but the smoke sticks around for a little while longer, without feeling like you've just puffed down a fat Cuban.
Kudos to Suntory for still offering something that can be otherwise described as an interesting introduction to the Hibiki line, and a very polite welcome into the world of Japanese whisky for the newcomers! I can drink Nikka FTB like a cup of tea, and coming from a 51.4% ABV offering, Hibiki Japanese Harmony was not boring for me at all! This whisky was engineered to be "boring", and I mean that in a good way. Not all whiskies have to be wild, or have an age statement, to behold a unique quality about them!
Readers note, YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, but this dram gets two thumbs up from me!
Also, the notes in this entry is for the Master's Select version.
The notes for the standard Japanese Harmony is as follows...
Nose: Rose, lychee, hint of rosemary, mature woodiness/sandal wood
Palate: Honey like sweetness, candied orange peel, white chocolate
Finish: Subtle and tender long finish, hint of Mizunara (Japanese oak)
Kampai! *raises Glencairn*
21. Dec 2015
02. Jan 2016
25. Feb 2016
17. Jun 2016
