Hibiki 21 Year

Smooth and fruity but borderline bland. All five people in a blind tasting chose yamazaki 12 over this.

The spice melange…

I’ve been a Hibiki fan for a long time. A few years back, I bought numerous bottles of Hibiki 12. I loved drinking it, but as it increased in price and was ultimately discontinued because it ran out, I traded several bottles I had in inventory for other whiskies that I’d been unable to find. I wished I still had a bottle or two, but sadly, they’re all gone. I’ve had the Harmony, of course, which is readily available (if overpriced). I used to have a bottle of the Hibiki 17, which I adored, but it is also gone, much to my chagrin (insert sad tearful emoji here). My only previous experience with Hibiki 21 was at an incredible night at Milroy’s in London just as Covid was getting underway (pic below). This bottle used in this tasting is on loan from a generous friend. Color is a clear and rich Pantone 130. The nose is forthright, as if it anthropomorphically wants to shake your hand (or nose), greeting you with an almost-pungent soy-vinegar dumpling sauce, sandalwood, brown sugar, coconut, orange oil, a cured-meat-soppressata element, some vanilla, almond croissant, and an aroma that evokes the incense I used to burn when I lived in Korea decades ago. Sweet Lord Jesus! I want to nose this all night. Palate has just the right amount of viscosity, with honey and sweet candied orange joining the party. The finish is long, prefaced with a mild spice and continuing with marzipan and vanilla. Rich, mellow, and sophisticated—I’m not too fond of that term as a descriptor, but it is apt in this case. The soy-vinegar dumpling sauce is pervasive and foundational. I nosed it several times over a half hour and reached the same conclusion. It’s somewhat analogous to a tangy barbecue sauce note—something that I’ve noted a few times in other whiskies—but that probably seems offputting to the three people that read this review. That soy-vinegar element is the basso continuo upon which the rest of the olfactory concerto is grounded. Hibiki 21 typically retails for well north of $1,000, if you can find it. Would I buy it? Yes—after I win the lottery. 5.0 on the Distiller scale—for what it’s worth, this is just the second perfect score I’ve ever given (the other being 2019 William Larue Weller (reviewed June 30, 2022). I understand that Suntory produces a 30-year Hibiki; but I’ve yet to see that one in person. 43% ABV.