Though aged stock is lessening, the major Japanesewhisky maker is optimistic about the categorys growth in the future, and will not make the mistake of running out of stock again. Also, make sure it has the famed wooden box to go with it!, Sonot to compare past and present here, but this is a prime example of then and now. The Hibiki 17 and Hakushu 12 are just the latest aged whiskies to get the chop. It has more caramel and dark fruit notes. Would you mix it with Coke?#hibikiwhisky #japanesewhisky #bartenderlife #barhumor #japanesewhiskey. But it's a reasonable question to ask. Thats a big range. For 14 years, including two years in Ireland, Martin was one of the original Diageo Sr. Masters of Whisky. Japanese whiskys status as the most sought-after, hard-to-find whiskey in the world is new. Tasting Chita also serves as an education tool for those aiming to understand the building blocks of Japanese whisky, as its presence is easy to miss in Hibiki and Toki bottlings. The blend must, after all, contain vintages aged 17 years or more. The followup is a swell of barrel-derived flavor compounds picked up from six more years in casks: vanilla, coconut, butterscotch, toffee and so on. Why is Suntory Hibiki Whiskey So Expensive - Money Inc Hibiki 21 is a living legend within the Japanese whisky category. Its even won the Worlds Best Blended Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards a handful of times. Its many-layered whiskies serve as an introductory course to Japanese whisky light-bodied, clean, rich in fruit and floral quality with varying degrees of spice. Im officially 34 now and I would say the obsession started at 29, so Im definitely a late bloomer compared to how early others are starting out these days. Suntorys Hakushu distillery is hidden under a mountain in central Japans Yamanashi Prefecture. He lives in Edinburgh. Forwarning: you will (likely) never drink this expression. And neither is better than the other. Is Hibiki 12-Year discontinued? Its a smooth blended Scotch with a pronounced kick of Japanese oak flavors. However, Hibiki 12 is also significantly more expensive than Harmony. Specific notes include rose, orange and lemon peels, green apple, lychee, sandalwood, eucalyptus, and mint. Your email address will not be published. And today, its more like $250. Hibiki, which first hit shelves in 1989, was designed as a more palatable alternative to blended Scotch, meant to be sipped neat or over ice. As mentioned earlier, Japanese whisky has gone from boom to bust before. Suntory and Nikka to discontinue more Japanese whiskies - Time Out Tokyo Malt whisky aged in Japanese mizunara is an important element in Hibiki whiskies. The mixture is finished with trace amounts of Yamazaki aged in American oak and Spanish sherry casks. The supply of Hibiki 21 is very limited. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But below are some that are often compared. Check out some of the eye-popping stats on Viticult. An acute shortage of aged stocks, the result of the combination of rising demand and lower production from roughly 1985 to around 2008, has meant that many Japanese whisky stalwarts have either been discontinued or have become impossible to find. And if you find it, make sure it has the box (extra points if it has the ribbon. Dalwhinnie doesnt have any Japanese mizunara oak, however. *Source: Wayback Machine archives of wine-searcher.com. The distillery has an impressive library of whiskies . But using Hibiki Harmony is a delicious alternative. Expectthe price of the Hibiki 17 to rise on the secondary market and bottles to become ever harder to find. Yamazaki 12-Year-Old Japanese Whisky: Why Pricing Has Gone Through The SRP: $250Street Price: $850-$1,100Year Introduced: 1989Production: Ongoing. Japan does hold a close place in my heart because of my Japanese roots and cultural background. This bottle is what got me into Japanese whisky. Both are priced similarly and are excellent Japanese blended whiskies. Suntory released Hibiki 21 and Hibiki 17 Year (semi-discontinued) in 1989. I believe I speak for all the Japanese whisky fans out there, including Bill Murray, when I say this: You'll be sorely missed, Hibiki 17. They are used for malt whisky and add color and dried fruit notes. But I think that Harmony is a blend of 5-20 year-aged whiskies, averaging less than ten years. My amazingly kind friend Franois at the Golden Promise Whisky Bar in Paris made this happen, as it is indeed my birth year bottle! Hibiki Japanese Harmony Masters Select is a limited-edition version of Harmony designed for the duty-free market. And they both are expertly blended with many types of barrels. Over the last decade demand for Japanese whisky around the world has exploded. Hi Al nara! Theyre both blended whiskies from prestigious Japanese whisky manufacturers. The Council of Whiskey Masters is home to the leading whisky education and certification programs, opening a systematic career pathway for aspiring and established whisky professionals around the world. You can look around for the best price. And obviously, it is comprised of much older whisky stocks. A lot of people are asking this question. True, as Dave Broom, points out, each whisky is the product of a unique production and maturation process. The expression was not meant. The fact that it is continuously reaching new highs in regards to price points, and that its quality has never ever wavered, people will be thrilled to be able to start collecting new bottlings from this formerly mothballed distillery once production starts again in 2020. Is Hibiki 21 Discontinued - thejapanesebar.com SRP: $250Street Price: $500-$1,000Year Introduced: 1984Production: Discontinued. It depends on who you ask. Casks of whisky at a storehouse of Suntory Liquors' Hakushu distillery in Hokuto City, Yamanashi [+] prefecture. Level-up your sushi bar game! He is based in San Francisco, California. US prices start around $300, with some places charging close to double. Dont expect to find any floating around in the open though, as only 232 bottles were produced. And the herbal, crisp Hakushu 12 adds a ton of complexity from only a small dose. Since then, Suntorys whiskies have grown in volume, quality and prestige. This is often the best way to save money. How long before Hibiki 21 is discontinued? We also fascinate the taste buds in Japan and the Asian market with our Premium Malt's beer. The 18-year-old is a sweet non-peated malt that has been matured primarily in American Oak vatted with a smaller portion of malt aged in European aged oak. Prices for both are similar. At around $200to$300 a bottle, this is well worth adding to your collection., A limited edition whisky that was truly exquisite. He has several decades of dedication to whisky. Beyond that, he also serves as a spirits consultant to restaurantshelping them determine which top-shelf bottles to acquire and serve to discerning guests. Suntory refers to these as Heavy Type, Medium Type, and Light Type. Suntory also produces multiple profiles of whisky at each of these three distilleries. Both Harmony and the Hibiki 17 blend Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita whiskies. Nikka From the Barrel is the Lex Luthor to Harmonys Super Man. Check out the retailers below. Representatives for Beam-Suntory could not confirm whether the final offering of Hibiki 17 would be available in regular retail locations before publishing. Sadly, this expression was discontinued by Suntory back in More info. It started out as an $80 bottle in 2003, then I saw this bottle retailing for $1000 in 2016. And if you find it for anything less, its a steal!, One to be reckoned with. When a Westerner thinks of Japanese whisky, they think of names under the House of Suntory. Express an orange twist over the drink, and use it as a garnish with a cherry. In 2018, Suntory announced it was discontinuing its popular Hibiki 17-year-old bottling due to a lack of sufficiently aged spirit (although that discontinuation does not appear to have actually happened). The peat comes through most on the nose and finish, where it amounts to a background profile flavor. Glad their whiskies are finally available in the US. The 2019 Edition of Hibiki 17 is available for pre-order on Japanese whisky retailer Dekanta for a whopping $600, a $450 jump over the whiskys official $150 retail price. He specializes in whiskies from non-traditional regions, and he holds his own New World' whisky awards to promote them. However, after only being able to produce 2,000 liters per batch, it was deemed that it could not meet the global demand,Ganapathi explains. SRP: $65Street Price: $65-$100Year Introduced: 2015Production: Ongoing. Blue cheese is especially delicious. Harmony is lighter in color and flavor, less rich, and somewhat simpler. So its the epitome of watered-down. Learn how your comment data is processed. This post breaks down why this Suntory whisky is special. And the bubbles from the soda will take care of the mixing. The market for Japanese whisky has gone insane with no end in sight. Broom points out however, that in his view: Its impossible (and wrong) to try and estimate how much Scotch is in Japanese whisky. Good luck! Heres everything you need to know. Regardless of its value, theres no doubt it is one delicious Japanese whisky.