Hibiki 21 Year

Leather. Syrup.

Is this my graduation day? This is not a dram, this is a "dream". For my 300th whisky review i decided (like 20 whiskies ago) to finally taste the world most awarded blended whisky ever, the Japanese Hibiki 21yo, and it was everything it was supposed to be, the best blended whisky ever made. Very similar to my other favorite blended whisky, the Extinct Johnnie Walker Premier (also made only for Japan). On the nose it is absolutely spectacular. The end of the world in the nose. Paradise. Notes i got on the nose: Amontillado sherry, Fresh orange jam, Coffee; Couple of minutes later: tiramisu, Citric note, orange note, Hay; So complex. Sugar syrup notes hidden in the back. Very fresh aroma, Interior of prunes, Orange peel with dark chocolate; Floral notes. Viscocity is so high that i have written all this and still they havent reached the base of the dram. The aroma is strong. Wonderful. Rose stem, Mostly coffee notes, absolutely Adictive. After the first sip maple honey appears on the nose as well as créme caramel. More and more caramel on the nose. Slight Vanilla. All that. In the nose. The most complex nose ever. Ever. For obvious reasons the palate wasn't going to match the super super super complexity on the nose. Still it is a marvelous dram. Wonderful on the palate. It is amazingly balanced, the right amount of spicyness, with the right amount of oak, with the right amount of sweetness all happening at the same time. Incredibly easy to drink and pleasant. Sherry, Clove, Bitter coffee beans, Dark chocolate, Almonds and butterscotch. Vanilla. After the third sip: caramel and oregano. Finish is a mixture of ginger and herbal notes in such a pleasant way that you feel rewarded. Thick créme caramel. I did left one micro sip to taste it with water. One drop later, nose dilutes to milk powder with lemon peel. Becomes super herbal on the palate, almost medicinal, exactly like drinking magnesium chloride. No grain was felt. The score, easy to guess: 100 over 100. It might be 200 easily. Something i must tell you, i am not sure that this one has beaten my all time favorite the Glenmorangie Signet, but it is surely the only one that has stood up to it. I would definitively pay (if i had the money lol) the $550 it costs, and i will save it to drink a dram in special occasions.