Many often trace the origins of the global Japanese whisky boom to this scene in the 2003 cult classic film Lost in Translation, where Bill Murray's character finds himself bewildered while filming a whisky commercial in Tokyo. Struggling to understand an excitable Japanese director who spoke at length for over a minute, all the instruction Bill received in English was a curt "He want you to turn, looking at camera, OK?"

Watching this film today, many would recognize the whisky on the table as none other than a Suntory Hibiki whisky. And the iconic tagline uttered by Bill Murray with smouldering intensity, "For Relaxing Times, Make It Suntory Time." This phrase wasn’t even coined by Suntory.

Hibiki was introduced in 1989 as a premium expression from Suntory. Keizo Saji, then master blender and CEO, decided to develop a premium blended whisky that would reflect the sophistication of Suntory's techniques. The timing made sense: the company was celebrating its 90th anniversary and the 1980s was a period of economic prosperity in Japan. The launch of the Suntory Hibiki was thus timed to coincide with the inauguration of the grand Suntory Music Hall in Tokyo, specially designed for excellent acoustics by a renowned architect.

Inspired by the 4th movement of Brahms' Symphony No. 1, Saji’s team of blenders selected some 30 malt and grain whiskies from across Suntory's three distilleries – Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita – to create Hibiki. The name "Hibiki" itself was chosen as it means "Resonance" in Japanese, further emphasizing the whisky's connection to musical composition and harmony.

Suntory spared no expense in the bottle’s design. Hibiki’s bottle was designed to be an elegant glass decanter with 24 facets around its body, signifying the 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar. The label was made with special Japanese washi paper and featured a specially calligraphed character of "Hibiki" in Japanese.

Today, Hibiki is available in numerous age statements, ranging from no-age-statement (NAS) expressions to the rarer 17, 21 and 30 Year Olds. While we know that the whiskies are selected from over 30 casks, the exact composition and ages of the components remain a closely guarded secret. The current Chief Blender of Suntory, Shinji Fukuyo who joined Suntory in 1984, played a pivotal role in shaping the Hibiki style.

The Suntory Blender’s Job

The blender is responsible for crafting new whisky expressions, maintaining the quality and consistent characteristics of each brand, and perhaps most importantly, the management of whisky stocks for the future.

It's a bit like being a conductor of an orchestra, but instead of musicians and instruments, you have different component whiskies with their own unique characteristics. Since the first edition of Hibiki, Suntory has been guided by the aim of achieving harmony in crafting a premium blended whisky, reflecting the Japanese concept of wa, which emphasizes harmony and balance in all aspects of life.

The blender carefully selects and blends a variety of diverse component whiskies to create a harmonious new expression while taking into account a multitude of factors including maturity, fruitiness, creaminess and smokiness. Each component whisky is like an individual instrument in the orchestra, and contributes its unique voice to the final symphony of flavours.

Achieving this harmony requires a highly developed palate and sense of smell, as well as years of experience. It’s more art than science, says Shinji. He believes that scientific analysis alone isn't enough to determine what makes a great whisky. While gas chromatography can identify the individual chemical compounds in whisky, it cannot capture the complexity and nuance of the final blend. Ultimately, it is the blender's intuition and expertise that guide the process.

According to Shinji, a Hibiki is broadly composed of 4 layers. At the bottom is a “Grain Whisky” base intended to harmonise the various malt whiskies. Next is a layer of “Core Malt” that determines the base aroma and taste of the Hibiki. This is followed by a “Hidden Accent” element that provides depth and notes of dried fruits. Finally, at the top is a sprinkling of “Dresser Malt” that adds additional character to the Hibiki.

These are the common component malts used to make the Hibiki blend:

• Core Malt: Yamazaki American White Oak
• Core Malt: Hakushu Lightly Peated Malt
• Hidden Malt: Yamazaki Spanish Oak Sherry Cask
• Grain Whisky: Chita Grain
• Dresser Malt: Yamazaki Mizunara Oak

All of these individual components come together to form the renowned Hibiki. Let’s see if we can pick up the nuances of these whiskies in a classic Hibiki Japanese Harmony!

The Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky – Review 

Tasting Notes

Nose: A mellow and subtle sweetness with complexities slowly unfolding. Opens with light caramel and honey, followed by orchard fruits, particularly apples – a clear influence from the Chita Grain and Yamazaki White Oak components. Soft apples intertwine with gentle spice, a touch of tinned lychee and even a hint of aged shoyu sauce, likely stemming from the Yamazaki Spanish oak influence. Rounding things out are some light vanilla and delicate sandalwood notes, possibly from the Yamazaki Mizunara Oak or the aromatics of the lightly peated Hakushu.

Palate: Honeyed and subtly spiced, with a nicely viscous texture. It opens with a rich, spiced honeyed sweetness, accented by orange peel and anise seed – which seems to be a harmonious combination of the Yamazaki White Oak, Chita Grain, and the Yamazaki Spanish Oak. As it develops, a warm apple sweetness appears, followed by an interplay of some richer flavours – red berries, walnuts and a hint of fruitcake soaked in brandy. Throughout, it retains this remarkable freshness and balance.

Finish: Lightly drying and spiced and aromatic with a touch of smoked wood and sandalwood and a lingering warmth of vanilla and coconut.

My Thoughts:

This Hibiki Japanese Harmony is beautifully balanced, showcasing delicate fresh notes of orchard fruits alongside distinguished notes of aged whisky and nuttiness from the Sherry cask.

The Yamazaki White Oak and Chita Grain seem to provide depth and structure with their honeyed sweetness and orchard fruit notes. The Yamazaki Spanish Oak contributes a distinct red fruit and spiced richness, while the Hakushu peated malt delivers an almost imperceptible smokiness that add an aromatic dimension.

It's difficult to pinpoint the exact contribution of the Yamazaki Mizunara Oak, but I suspect it enhances the overall "Japanese-ness" with subtle warm sandalwood notes that tie everything together.

Final Thoughts 

While the exact composition of Hibiki may evolve over time, the blenders at Suntory have masterfully maintained its consistent character. This is no easy feat. Just take the recent release of Hibiki 40 Year Old for instance. This is Hibiki’s oldest expression yet and Chief Blender Shinji explained that crafting the oldest Hibiki ever presented unique challenges.

We once had the extraordinary chance to deconstruct a Hibiki and taste individual characteristics of each layer, and understand how they contribute to the overall harmony of Hibiki. Read about our experience here!

@CharsiuCharlie