The House of Suntory has announced the release of Hibiki 40 Year Old – the oldest blended whisky in the brand’s history.
Only 400 bottles of the ultra-luxury expression will be released globally across selected markets and channels. The RRSP is US$35,000.
An allocation has been set aside for the global travel retail channel and been earmarked for key travel locations. These include airports in Sydney, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Dubai, Qatar, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Madrid, New York and Los Angeles, plus Hainan Island.
Hibiki 40 Year Old features a blend of high-quality Japanese whiskies from Suntory’s three distilleries – Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita – each matured for over 40 years and blended to create “a full orchestra” of flavours and aromas, said the brand owner.
The House of Suntory said: “The blenders carefully selected a variety of treasured, ultra-high-aged whiskies produced with great care by their earlier generations. The decadent and innovative result is a gorgeous taste with layers of unprecedented aroma and mellowness.”
On the nose, the blend reveals aromas of Japanese loquat, dry lemon peel, and clove. It unveils flavours of pure acacia honey and dry fig on the palate, culminating in an aromatic aftertaste, said Suntory Global Spirits.
Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo said that behind the elegance and bloom that is typical of Hibiki, there is a sense of subduedness, like that of an old temple, and a wabi-sabi patina due to the long aging process.
He explained: “I would like people to enjoy the pure aroma that has been sharpened over the years; the tranquillity of old temples and storehouses and the nostalgic warm feeling that accompanies them.”
Hibiki 40 Year Old benefits from the complexity of Mizunara Japanese oak and the subtle sweetness of Spanish oak, and is elevated with the smoothness of caramelised cacao from aged American oak.
The House of Suntory has also partnered with renowned Japanese washi artist Eriko Horiki to craft the washi label on the Hibiki 40 Year Old box.
The bottle is fashioned from crystal glass, with 30 facets intricately crafted by a renowned glassware maker known as a trusted purveyor to the Japanese imperial family. It is decorated with traditional Japanese maki-e, mother-of-pearl inlay.
In this striking Moodie Davitt Studio film (click above to view), we bring you highlights from a House of Suntory Kogei Collection whisky masterclass, led by Global Advocacy Manager James Bowker in Singapore in May.
The wooden box is made of 12 kinds of Japanese wood such as pine and zelkova, and has 12 faces, representing the 12 months of the year. Around the box, flowers and grasses of the four seasons of Japan are depicted in maki-e lacquer, representing the changing seasons and linking the past and future through Hibiki.
“This is a landmark release from The House of Suntory, so I am delighted that we can offer it to our key GTR partners,” noted Suntory Global Spirits Managing Director Global Travel Retail Ashish Gandham. “Hibiki was introduced in 1989 to commemorate Suntory’s 90th anniversary, and it embodies the pinnacle of Japanese luxury and craftsmanship.”
He continued: “We have huge ambitions for this brand, as we continue to develop and enhance our premium whisky portfolio. The word ‘Hibiki’ means ‘resonance’ in Japanese, and I am confident that Hibiki 40 Year Old will absolutely resonate with travelling connoisseurs seeking to experience a truly exceptional whisky.”
