Hibiki Japanese Harmony - Suntory - 70cl

Suntory Hibiki Harmony is a Japanese whisky with a special bottle design: the 24 indentations each represent an hour of the day and each month of the Japanese lunar calendar. Handmade Echizen paper is used for the bottle label, which has been printed four times. Japanese Harmony was created from the best malt and Grain whiskies from the Suntory distilleries.
Hibiki Japanese Harmony contains malt and grain whisky from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. The spirit ages in five types of casks, including rare Japanese oak Mizunara, as well as sherry and bourbon casks.
Nose: nice and fresh. Vibrant lemons, green apples and nectarines, with natural vanilla. Then light honey, candied orange peel and whiffs of sandalwood in the distance. Hints of jasmine, which makes it even more Japanese in my opinion. Over time woody notes come forward, with fresh oak shavings and grassy notes. Pleasant.

Mouth: smooth indeed, finding a good balance between clear oaky notes (vanilla, white pepper, oak shavings) and fruity sweetness (pear, orange). Plenty of biscuity hints in the middle, as well as dried ginger and a little coconut cream. At this point it becomes a little generic, with echoes of old grain whisky or bourbon whiskey. Sweet wood is taking the upper hand.

Finish: not too long, still focusing on the oaky flavours.