The House of Suntory, marking a century since its founder, Shinjiro Torii, established Japan’s first malt whisky distillery in 1923, has unveiled two additions to its Hibiki whisky range. These releases include the Hibiki 21-Year-Old and a unique bottle design of Hibiki Japanese Harmony as part of their centennial celebration.
Hibiki, introduced in 1989, is renowned for its blend of malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s distilleries, including Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita. The new Hibiki 21-Year-Old prominently features rare Mizunara oak, influencing the whisky’s character.
Chief Blender of Suntory, Shinji Fukuyo, states, “For the limited-edition Hibiki 21-Year-Old, our team crafted a new blend to celebrate our centennial. This whisky showcases our dedication to craftsmanship.”
The centennial label design on the Hibiki 21-Year-Old bottle reflects a Japanese sunrise, symbolizing life, vitality, and the passage of time.
This special whisky, with its tender gold hue, embodies the spirit of “Wa,” offering enticing notes of kumquat, jasmine, and Japanese incense. The palate combines subtle sweetness and floral notes with spiced sandalwood and agarwood. The finish features spiced Mizunara wood. Bottled at 43 percent ABV, it is available globally in select markets with a suggested retail price of $5,000 for a 700-ml. bottle.
Hibiki Japanese Harmony also joins the centennial celebration with a unique bottle design. It includes motifs symbolizing Japan’s changing seasons, and a ‘Kakehashi’ (bridge) signifying a connection between Japan and the world.
The whisky, with an amber hue, offers notes of rose, lychee, rosemary, mature woodiness, and sandalwood. The palate features aromas of honey-like sweetness, candied orange peel, and white chocolate, with a subtle and tender finish with a hint of Mizunara. Bottled at 43 percent ABV, it is available globally in select markets with a suggested retail price of $200 for a 750-ml. bottle.
This centennial release follows the earlier unveiling of the Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara and Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt whiskies. The House of Suntory has also introduced limited 100th-anniversary labels for the flagship Yamazaki 12 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old in select markets.
The House of Suntory welcomes whisky enthusiasts to join its new global membership program, offering benefits like early access to new releases, priority invitations to consumer experiences, distillery news, cultural insights, and more.