Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Suntory whisky review

A blended whisky from Suntory, this pulls in malt whisky from their Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, and grain whisky from Chita. It's an example of what, until recently, was a well-featured premium range, now rolled into one very attractive no-age statement offering.

This does mean that we can no longer drink the 17 Year Old that drew Bill Murray’s character to Tokyo in Lost In Translation, but when the substitute is this well-judged between the constituent parts, you can only be put out for so long.

Pale gold in the glass, this is complex yet light on the nose with spicy ginger and vanilla over a clean honey/marshmallow sweetness and a fruitiness redolent of green apples, cherries and plums. There’s a hint of the woodland, then a sweet chestnut fullness.

As for the palate, the red fruit and apple mingles alongside that marshmallow-note sweetness, with a lemon zest edge, before chestnut gives way to a touch of woodiness and tannin.

It finishes quite lightly, with a little bitterness edging in amongst sweet and floral notes.

The perfect pour

Given the balance between intensity and lightness in this blend, it doesn’t need opening up with water, so enjoy over a single ice cube as a perfect sundowner.

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This review was last updated in April 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.