Got a rare Hibiki on hand? A complete breakdown of the most valuable Hibiki blended whiskies.

Suntory is a leader in the Japanese whisky industry. With outstanding brewing techniques and a strong industry position, it has elevated Japanese whisky to the international stage in just a few decades, putting it on par with Scotch whisky. Its three iconic brands—Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki—each have their own unique characteristics, showcasing the craftsmanship and diversity of Japanese whisky.

Yamazaki and Hakushu represent single malt whiskies, demonstrating Japanese whisky's expertise and innovation in single varietals. The Yamazaki Distillery, established in 1923, is Japan's first whisky distillery, renowned for its unique brewing techniques and high-quality water. The Hakushu Distillery, nestled in a forest, is known as the "Forest Distillery" and is celebrated for its fresh taste and unique terroir.

What truly brought Suntory widespread fame is its blended whisky brand—Hibiki. Hibiki is not only a standout among blended whiskies but also represents the pinnacle of Japanese whisky quality and luxury. Its success is not merely due to winning numerous "World's Best Blended Whisky" awards, but also its exquisite blending craftsmanship and consistent high quality.

Hibiki's blending casks come from Suntory's three major whisky distilleries. The malt whiskies from Yamazaki Distillery offer rich and varied flavors; Hakushu Distillery contributes a fresh and unique taste to Hibiki; and Chita Distillery is the main production base for grain whisky, adding layers and richness to Hibiki. These three distinct styles of raw spirits, expertly blended by the blenders, collectively create the unique charm of this blended whisky, Hibiki.

What are the different expressions?

1. Hibiki Japanese Harmony Blended Whisky

"Hibiki Japanese Harmony" draws its inspiration from the 24 traditional Japanese solar terms, blending over 12 malt and grain whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and other distilleries. Its development and blending were overseen by Suntory's 3rd Chief Blender, Shingo Torii, and 4th Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo.

This is a no-age-statement expression, taking over after the discontinuation of Hibiki 12 Year Old, and retaining the classic 24-faceted bottle design of the Hibiki series. These facets symbolize the 24 solar terms in the brewing process and the 24 hours in a day. Its beautiful appearance resembles a brown perfume bottle, with an embossed surface that allows Hibiki to sparkle from any angle of light.

The bottle label is crafted from Echizen washi paper designed by washi artist Eriko Horiki, and the kanji character for "Hibiki" on the label is written by Japanese calligrapher Tanboku Ogino, exuding elegance and refinement.

2. Hibiki 12 Years Old Blended Whisky

Carefully blended from malt and grain whiskies aged over 12 years. The use of plum wine cask-aged malt whisky further enhances Hibiki's unique sweet and rich aroma. The recipe also includes malt whisky aged over 30 years, giving Hibiki 12 Year Old a rich, mellow taste and a heightened sense of maturity.

Unfortunately, this whisky was discontinued in 2015. Whisky is a product of time, and even with recent rapid production increases, it's difficult to meet the growing demand in the short term; Suntory previously estimated that production might catch up with demand by 2026.

3. Hibiki 17 Years Old Blended Whisky

Hibiki 17 Year Old was the first release from this brand, launched in 1989. It is a blend of over 30 long-aged malt and grain whiskies, all aged 17 years or more. It features notes of caramel, milk, and sweet floral and fruity aromas, with a mellow and full-bodied palate that is balanced, clear, and multi-layered.

Among the various vintages of Hibiki, the 17 Year Old is particularly difficult to find. Although not the oldest in terms of age, it was the first Hibiki expression to enter the market, giving it a much higher commemorative and collectible value than its intrinsic taste. This whisky was once included by whisky expert Ian Buxton in his "101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die," which requires whiskies to be classic, highly available, and reasonably priced. Evidently, its availability is no longer high (it's very hard to find), and its price is also high, but this demonstrates its status and influence in the whisky industry.

In May 2018, Suntory announced that starting from September 2018, Hibiki 17 Year Old would gradually be removed from the product sales catalog in Japan. Rumors, coupled with intentional media guidance, led many to mistakenly believe that Hibiki 17 Year Old would be discontinued, causing its speculative price to surge overnight to over 3000. In April 2017, the market price of Hibiki 17 Year Old had just broken the 1000 mark. Later, Suntory clarified that it was only discontinuing sales in Japan, which would not affect supply to the Chinese region.

4. Hibiki 21 Years Old Blended Whisky

This whisky has won awards every year since 2009 at the WWA competition, and it is the Hibiki whisky with the most WWA "World's Best Blended Whisky" titles. It also received a high score of 96 from "Whisky Bible 2014," making it a true core expression of the brand. Matured in Bourbon, Sherry, and Mizunara casks, it blends over 30 original whiskies, offering an elegant, serene, and profound taste.

5. Hibiki 30 Years Old Blended Whisky

This whisky was launched in 1997, blended from original whiskies aged over 30 years, primarily in North American white oak casks from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, plus grain whisky aged over 30 years from the Chita distillery. All production processes are completed by hand, with only a few thousand bottles produced annually, each with a serial number. The bottle design is also more exquisite, featuring 30 facets on a crystal bottle, representing the 30 years of aging the original whisky experienced in oak casks, and adorned with an Echizen washi paper label embedded with gold leaf. This whisky was also selected by Ian Buxton for his "101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die."

6. Hibiki 35 Years Old Blended Whisky

Hibiki 35 Year Old holds a similar status to Yamazaki 50 Year Old, released as a limited edition with only over 100 bottles per release, typically only found at auctions. The whisky is a blend of spirits aged 35 to 46 years, housed in specially designed ceramic bottles.

In addition to the above expressions, Hibiki also has several special editions, including:

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select, released in 2015 specifically for global travel retail, features over 10 original whiskies matured in 5 different types of oak casks, including American white oak, sherry, and Japanese Mizunara, cleverly blending various oaks from around the world, with a particularly prominent sherry flavor.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Limited Edition Design, a limited edition released in November 2018 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Hibiki" brand. While the blend inside the bottle is largely the same, the bottle's packaging has been redesigned. Inspired by traditional kimono patterns, the bottle is adorned with the traditional Japanese celebratory symbol of Tabane-noshi gift ribbons. Since ancient times, Japan has had a custom of decorating precious gifts with gift ribbons; multiple ribbons bundled together form a "Tabane-noshi" gift knot, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity, and representing the sharing of happiness and joy with others.

Hibiki Blender's Choice, with an average age of 15 years for the original whiskies, and including some whiskies aged over 30 years. Although the average age of the whiskies is 15 years, there are also whiskies younger than 15 years; this is a no-age-statement whisky, priced slightly lower than Hibiki 17, but certainly higher than other no-age-statement whiskies. Interestingly, this whisky has also been matured in wine casks, bringing more sweetness and complexity.

Hibiki 17 Kacho Fugetsu Limited Edition, where Kacho Fugetsu in Japanese refers to flowers, birds, wind, and the moon. This packaging aims to convey the natural beauty of Japan. Released in 2016, with a limited production of no more than 1,000 bottles.

Hibiki 17 Mount Fuji Limited Edition, released by Suntory to commemorate Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak, being inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.

Hibiki 21 Year Old Porcelain Bottle Limited Edition. Since 2001, Suntory has released a limited edition Hibiki 21 Year Old whisky every year, housed in handmade Arita or Kutani porcelain bottles, paying tribute to Japanese ceramic culture. Arita ware can be said to be the most representative Japanese porcelain, with soft white bottles painted with vibrant patterns in blue or red, much like watercolor paintings on pure white paper. In contrast, Kutani ware features more ornate polychrome painting, predominantly using five colors: red, green, purple, yellow, and blue, with diverse compositional styles.

Hibiki 21 Year Old Kacho Fugetsu Limited Edition, the bottle still features the classic 24 facets, initially released only in Japan.

Hibiki 21 Year Old Mount Fuji Limited Edition, including the first edition, which was only available in Japan and limited to 2,000 bottles; and the second edition, a duty-free version, also limited to 2,000 bottles.

Hibiki 30 Year Old Kacho Fugetsu Limited Edition, a special edition released in 2015 specifically for Travel Retail.

Note: Not all special editions are listed above.