Taste Testing The New Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive, It's Finally Back After 11 Years!

As the story goes - and has been going on for some years now - the meteoric rise of the global popularity of Japanese whiskies was by all counts a flash mob that took even Japan's most well-established and historic whiskymakers by surprise.

After decades of commitment to the craft of constant refinement - the Japanese call this kaizen, that is the practice of consistent, incremental improvement - just quietly plugging away in their corner of the world, Japanese whisky would mount a series of major breakthroughs and wins that were in hindsight clues that would have pointed towards the success of Japanese whiskies. Led by of course Suntory - Japan's first and also oldest whisky house, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, having been rounded in 1923 - the world would get its first proper glimpse of Japanese whiskies through the cameo of the Hibiki 17 Years Old in the cult classic 2003 film Lost In Translation. That same year, the Yamazaki 12 would also take home the Gold from the International Spirits Challenge - a first for Japanese whisky. By 2015, the world was to get a serious wake up call to the incredible work that Japan was doing with the 2015 Whisky Bible World Whisky of the Year win for the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. Many accolades would follow thereafter, more than could possibly be named, as hyperbolic as that might sound. By then the world was convinced that Japanese whiskies were indeed some of the best, a hard-earned recognition after decades of grinding forward, even through some incredibly difficult times, which in some ways just might be really why everyone fell in love with the category. After all, who doesn't love an underdog story of persistence and ultimately of triumph, it's a tale that everyone can certainly rally behind.

As they say, "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time".

And so by the mid-2010's, just as (and somewhat because of) Japanese whiskies were hitting topspeed, distilleries had to instead jam the brakes for lack of sufficient aged whisky stocks, and  would one by one begin to discontinue its age statement releases. The Hibiki 12 Years Old was in fact the first to go. By 2018, so would the famed Hibiki 17 Years Old - the very one featured in Lost In Translation - although the ultra-premium Hibiki 21 Years Old and Hibiki 30 Years Old would stay. Suntory would offer up the no-age-statement (NAS) Hibiki Japanese Harmony in the meantime to tide us over, with the periodic release of numerous variants of its bottle design (and also the annual Limited Edition Blossom Harmony NAS release), which for what it's worth were all very gorgeously designed. Nevertheless, it's probably unsurprising that the excitement over these benchmark whiskies tempered down a notch in the years following, as they retreated quietly into the background to recuperate. 

Yet, if anyone was to for even a split second doubt the immense favour and grip that Suntory's whiskies ever had - it's worth looking no further than the re-launch of the Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive. After 11 years of silence, Suntory would finally into mid-2026 announce the reinstatement of the first of its flagship age statement expressions - the Hibiki 12 Years Old - which is also in some ways symbolically befitting considering that it was also the first to be discontinued in 2015. Upon its announcement, and keeping in mind that this was only for the Global Travel Retail segment, the floodgates wasted no time in opening itself wide open. It immediately became the talk of the town, with a record number of fans looking up the new release. It was as if those 11 years did nothing to dent the love for Suntory's Hibiki whisky. Some might say the Hibiki 12 Years Old is back, but maybe really it never had left. Now, what other whisky could pull off such an incredible feat? Again, as hyperbolic as it may come across, this really was a feat unlike any other (especially considering the current softness in the whisky market)!

And so with that said, given that it's been some 11 years since, let's recap the story of Suntory's Hibiki.

Hibiki - a blend of malt whiskies from Suntory's Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, with also grain whiskies from Chita distillery - was first introduced in 1989 as a designated premium expression that would highlight the pinnacle of Suntory. And so on the eve of Suntory's 90th anniversary, Master Blender Keizo Saji would decide to create Hibiki as an encapsulation of Suntory's huge progress in the sophistication of its whiskymaking techniques, with in particular an emphasis on the art of blending as being the highest of all marks of craftsmanship. The timing was perfect, with the Japanese economy booming and the whisky blend thus slated to be unveiled in  conjunction with the inauguration of the grand Suntory Music Hall in Tokyo. It was for this grand unveiling that a new logo was commissioned - one that blended the Japanese word for Hibiki, which meant "Resonance", with the Suntory crest, the result of which was a sort of 8-bit retro looking character that would eventually become Suntory's corporate logo altogether. 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 the Hibiki. 

One of the most striking and beloved things about Hibiki has always been the iconic fluted design of its decanter, and so it's worth pointing out that Suntory spared no expense in its creation. With 24 facets around its body, the vessel would signify the 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar, with the label made of special Japanese washi paper, that would also feature a specially calligraphed character of "Hibiki" in Japanese. Within, the whisky would be composed of a number of key components - often said to hail from at least 30 different casks - with its exact composition and its corresponding ages known only to Suntory's Master Blender. Safe to say, the success of Hibiki would see to its installation as a core whisky brand of Suntory's, and even over three decades of its making, remains arguably in fact Suntory's most important brand. Every generation of Suntory's highly esteemed Master Blenders are charged with the critical responsibility of maintaining its quality, consistency and continuity into the future - this is said to even be amongst the most important tasks for the company's Master Blender.

Fifth-generation Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo holding a masterclass on the making of Hibiki.

Now, back to the Hibiki 12 Year Old Travel Exclusive on hand, given its 11 year hiatus, it is said that fifth-generation Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo had worked to re-interpret the classic whisky expression, and would land on composing the blend with whiskies aged in American, Spanish and Mizunara oak. The bottle itself would also feature a design inspired by Kacho-Fugetsu, a Japanese aesthetic philosophy rooted in nature and the seasons, that is typically expressed with motifs of flowing water forms, seasonal evolutions, as well as flowers, birds, the wind and the moon. Just as strikingly, it comes in an outer packaging that displays the Marumado design - a circular window that is found in traditional Japanese architecture, elegantly and ingenuously serving as a frame of the nature outside that has now become a "living" painting.

With all bases covered, let's get to tasting this highly anticipated Hibiki 12 Years Old!

PS. Big shoutout to Limski for your generosity in sharing this! It's always a big joy of the whisky community to find equally passionate fans! Cheers to you!

Whisky Review: Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive, 43% ABV

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Gold

Aroma: It opens immediately complex, with layered and interwoven aromas of honey, vanilla cream, brown sugars, lightly tart ume fruit, supported further by delicate yet bright aromas of quince, white peaches, pineapples, citruses and pears. There’s an understatedly vibrant basket of fresh fruits just cusping the bouquet. This is then enveloped snuggly by oriental spices and florals, of jasmines, cardamom and cinnamon, with this waxy and resinous sheen of lacquered agarwood. Light wisps of sandalwood as well, with a subtle mustiness of wooden rackhouses. With time, the citruses brighten to a lemony quality, with caramel custard and black licorice also showing through, garnished by white florals, and a touch of smoke and burnt sugar.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it’s waxy, bright and leans more fresh and delicate, with first a richness of brown sugar, that’s then followed by a zesty, elegant lift. Just a waft of mint here. Lemons then come through, with also herbal tones of licorice and angelica, backed up by swaths of brown sugar and vanilla cream. The spices develop with cinnamon, sarsaparilla and nutmeg, along with a custardy bit of creme brulee, topped with tints of burnt orange peel. 

Finish: The richness carries through, here taking on a herbal quality, with brown sugars, cough herbal cough syrup, licorice, angelica and sarsaparilla. There’s overtones of citrus that moves into a slight bit of burnt citrus bitterness that’s backed up by a bit of custard that glosses it forward. Creamy and rich finish, with lingering wisps of smoke, a savouriness of burnt brown sugar, as well as leather, tobacco and also dried plums and prunes.

My Thoughts

A whisky of many faces, it's intricately woven in its aromas, yet elegant and delicate on the palate with that initial richness that develops to a seamless lift, before finally consolidating and concentrating into the textural finish, at once creamy yet at the same time precise with those earthy, herbal tones. There are - as obvious as it is to point out - layers to this, with each sip revealing a different side to it, almost as if it were a resolute and characterful architectural work that is to be studied from different angles and vantages in order to be fully grasped. It's unassumingly non-linear, and seems to at times unfold, whilst at other turns compress. A very intriguing whisky that definitely begins to show its age, yet at the same time has kept its freshness and lift. That said, some added richness and suppleness to its body might have been a nice bit of padding, which would have cushioned the slight bitterness of the finish more, whilst some added flavour saturation and concentration would have also brought more depth to the body too.

In particular, its aromas were incredibly captivating, immediately complex from the outset, quickly alerting you that this isn't something quite so usual. Off-hand, it feels like an assembly of Bourbon, Mizunara, Rum and Sherry casks, with an emphasis on Yamazaki and Chita whiskies. It's well composed and steadfast, with it's layers rather subtle and yet once noticed, becomes particularly vibrant. It takes some time to unpack, but leads with enough to compel a fair bit of excitement! That lift that happens on the palate is also really delightful, where it goes from rich and warm confectionaries to this noticeable lift towards brightness, with this zestiness that so seamlessly takes you to a higher register with fresher tones. All throughout, there's always this understated canvas of supple caramel custard that fills the spaces really prettily too. Finally, the finish is also worth pointing out, where it's long drawn out, yet not quite so demanding, with this gentle ebbing of an almost deep Sherried quality that reveals itself all the way into the end.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot