Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022 43% 70cl

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ImpEx made its first foray into independent bottlinglast year with the release of its Collection Edition One. From that group, we scored the 3 year old M&H 2017 vintage single cask 91 pointsand a 17 year old single grain Japanese whisky 89 points. Other whiskies in the ImpEx portfolio include Kilchoman, Penderyn, Glenallachie, Fukano, and M&H. The House of Suntory said Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022 captures this “joyful spirit” in finishing a “rare selection of whiskies” in sakura. A sense of playfulness was likely needed when making this blend, as cherry woods and whisky are notoriously challenging to work with. Hibiki is a harmonious blend of various malt and grain whiskies from Suntory's Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Constantly pushing the boundaries of what Japanese Whisky can be, the House of Suntory continues to explore and experiment with various wood types. The Sakura cask was one that intrigued Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. Fall is in full swing, and so are new whisky launches. In a burst of good news for Pappy fans, the 2022 Van Winkle lineup has been announced, and with it the word that more bottles than usual are available this year. Does that mean it'll be easier to get your hands on one ahead of the holiday season? Not necessarily, but here's to staying optimistic.The Van Winkle whiskeys aren't the only specialty releases making their debut this week. There are two new whiskies from Hibiki—a cherrywood-finished blend and a 30 year old whisky—both of which are highly limited. Knob Creek, meanwhile, has introduced a rarity of its own, an 18 year old bourbon that marks its oldest release to date, and High West has unveiled the 10th edition of A Midwinter Night's Dram, along with a distillery-exclusive special to commemorate the 10th anniversary. From Scotland, Glendronach has debuted Grandeur Batch 11—aged for 28 years—while Gordon & Macphail is offering three new ultra-limited, ultra-aged bottlings. Read on for full details.

I have been mesmerized by the Sakura cask for the last five years now due to its symbolism, but also because of its distinctive, subtly floral and spicy aroma and flavor notes,” said fifth-generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo in a prepared statement . “There have been many experiments with malt and grain whisky components, and we found that there was a special alchemy between the grain whiskies and the Sakura cask. It is this special relationship – harmony – that inspired me to create this blend.” This is the third Basil Hayden line extension since August of 2021, following the release of Toastand Subtle Smoke. Beam just celebrated the 30 th anniversary of its small batch line, which includes Basil Hayden, Booker's, Baker's, and Knob Creek, and was created by 6 th-generation master distiller Booker Noe. Now his grandson is leading innovation at Beam, with Freddie at the helm of the new Fred B. Noe Distillery in Clermont. The one aims to appeal to wine drinkers and whiskey lovers alike. Coming in at 43 percent ABV, the whisky opens with a delicate floral bouquet followed by lush honey, orange peel, jasmine, and rich chocolate. The palate is ripe with tropical fruits and warm toast over the sweet-salty tang of sakura mochi, finishing off with bittersweet spicy notes. (Image credit: Suntory) The House of Suntory , which is the founding House of Japanese whisky, was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii when he opened the first official malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki. Since then The House of Suntory has created what’s considered to be some of the most highly-awarded blended whiskies on the international market as well as some of the most prestigious and honored whiskies in the world. Torii was a pioneering whisky maker whose goal was to create authentic western-style spirits that would appeal to Japanese tastes. Hibiki, meaning “resonance” or “echo” in Japanese, is said to encapsulate the philosophy of The House of Suntory, which is ‘To Create Harmony with People and Nature.’

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First released in 1997 as a limited edition, the 30 year old is a blend of malt and grain whiskies, all aged 30 years or more. It's an annual release, always in very limited quantities. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. B and B-: Good and above average. The best of the mass market whiskeys fit in this category, as do the bulk of the premium brands. A B- is three stars. This is the entry the series started with. It launched in 2021 and changed the market forever. The Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2021 reelase is distinct in its colour, much darker than what came next. The red label across the front is eye-catching, and you can see below it the telltale marker that it was bottled in 2021. This is what your bottle should look like if it’s genuine. The box it comes in also bears 2021 and has blossom flowers across it in an arc. The box does have Japanese writing on it, so you’r enot looking at a fake if you see that. Unlike with some Macallan releases. Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022 Image from Whisky Intelligence

The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars. While Scotland has strict laws dictating the type of oak used in their whisky, Japan’s rules are much looser. This has encouraged distillers to play native wood like mizunara and sakura. Under its Chita brand, Suntory has a grain whiskey matured in sakura casks for three years. Kurayoshi Distillery, Mars Shinshu, and Nagahama Distillery also have similarly-styled whiskies.Batch 11 in GlenDronach's much celebrated Grandeur series is a 28 year old single malt aged in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819.