Hibiki 21 Year

Smooth, rich and balanced

Nose: Peat with a sherry kick and slight orange citrus Palate: Opens up like a bitch, but the spice kicks in after half a second and opens up to a complex world of oak, peat, and vanilla. Approaches the cusp of too much spice and too much peat, but settles down just before it hits the breaking point. A master blend. Finish: Notes of caramel and slight peat. Goes on for days. If you have the chance to buy a bottle, go for it. This is the baseline for high-end Japanese blended whiskey. Probably paid too much for the bottle, but haven’t seen this one in the wild for a very long time. Would buy it again at the same price point.