The old has gone and the new has come! Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select

The Hibiki Harmony series was introduced to replace the aged expressions of the much-loved Suntory blend. There are the entry level Harmony, the Harmony Master's Select, Deep Harmony, and Mellow Harmony. The latter two are limited releases. The replacement of the aged whiskies with NAS has been the trend for Japanese whiskies, as demand has exceeded supply. NAS whiskies allow the distillers to be more creative in their cask selection. While age isn't an indication of quality, it often is one of the factors.

The Master's Select was released in Travel Retail. As usual, Hibiki's packaging is beautiful; you can't really be dissatisfied with a 24 faceted glass bottle. It's a work of art. In fact, people sell empty Hibiki bottles online! The 24 facets are supposed to represent the many seasons of the Japanese climate. If Singaporean craftsmen tried to follow the same principle, they wouldn't be able to make a bottle - we only have 2 discernible "seasons" - dry, and wet. You can't make a bottle out of only 2 dimensions. It wouldn't hold any liquid.

But enough of empty bottles. What about the stuff that's inside these beautiful glassware?

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select

Nose - Plum liquor is initially dominant. After the whisky has some time to breathe and open up, there's quite a bit of orange liquor and honey. There's something leafy and grassy in the nose as well. Some nice oak notes in the background. I read that some of the whisky that went into this blend came from Mizunara casks. Maybe that's what I'm smelling? I'm not getting any of the floral notes that were so pleasant in the Hibiki 12, 17 and 21.

Palate - Mm. Sweet and honeyed. Traces of vanilla, then a lot of fresh oranges and orange liquor. Slightly drying, and I think there's some sherry in here as well. The plum liquor is faint in the background, but that's a nice place to be. I don't think I like having the plum liquor being too dominant. JE says he got some chocolate, but they're elusive for me.

Finish - Fairly short. Light vanilla, oak, and a small sprinkling of spices.

Overall - No, this is not as good as the 12, which stood out for its honey and floral notes. This one is perhaps a little more balanced, but also less distinct. At just over $100 from DFS, this maybe counts as pretty value for money, but it's not great on quality. Still, smooth, pleasant, and easy drinking for those who hunger and pine for a Japanese dram.