Hibiki 21 Year

I recently did a 3-way, Japanese whiskey tasting flight using samples generously supplied by my NJ connection: @PBMichiganWolverine. This well-aged blend from Hibiki easily finished in first place- besting the Nikka Whisky From The Barrel and Ohishi Single Sherry Cask. I knew this going in so it wasn’t a surprise. The Hibiki 21 has gained a reputation as being one of, if not, the best Japanese whisky on the market. It’s bottled at 43% and is amber and gold in the taster. A few watery drops and thin legs get left behind when you twirl it up after the initial pour. The nose is, well...one of the greatest things you’ll ever have the privilege of smelling. Florals and perfumes greeted me right out of the gate. Over time the fruit basket arrives: orchard fruits, fresh cherry mash, ripe and bursting raspberries and grape must. A hint of vanilla and oak cask creates a wall that keeps those notes from escaping. I let this thing sit for 45 minutes and nothing lessened or dissipated. I could be perfectly content smelling this until the liquid evaporated, but the angels don’t deserve another share of this stuff. The palate doesn’t back down one bit either- brown sugar, fresh ground cinnamon wake the sleeping tongue before relenting to honey, sherry grapes and vanilla. A toasted bread note weighs on the back of the tongue and brings the slightest bit of gravity to this whisky. To this point is all felt so light and airy it actually needs this moment. There isn’t one ounce of harshness or heat from the alcohol. A nice, light mouthfeel that isn’t oily or dry. Perfection. The finish feels juicy initially. The instant I began to question whether or not I was drinking whisky I got charcoal and oak spice. It was like it was on cue. Orange peel lingered and cooled the last seconds of burn from the spice. This is one of the most complete experiences I’ve ever had from a whisky. Well done. Overall, this easily lands in my Top 5 of all time. I still have the Yamazaki 18 in there as well and I’d love to have these two side by side, even though I doubt I could declare a true winner. I believe bottles of this are currently going for over $600. You could buy a lot worse bottles for that price, so I have to say it’s still worth it based on quality. Thanks Pranay- I guess I know what I’m bidding on at the next auction. 5 stars. Cheers.