Nowadays, Hibiki is a big name in whisky market. Suntory positioned Hibiki whisky as a premium gift. In 1989 Suntory launched the first Hibiki. It was a 17 years old bottling, much older than most other brands’ elementary bottling.

Suntory at last released a younger version of Hibiki in 2009, the 12 years old bottling. Interestingly that the firstly launched market was neither Japan nor Asia, but to US and Europe. This younger version of Hibiki is not simply just blended by younger age of whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita. Further interesting point is that part of its ingredient whiskies are aged in the casks which previously held Japanese plum liquor.

The sample I tasted was from a bottling about 2013. I am not sure whether is it same as to the current release. By the way, it is rumored that this Hibiki 12 years old will be discontinued from the product line. In fact most distilleries including Suntory promote their NAS (No Age Statement) whiskies and of course Hibiki is joining the rank.

Hibiki 響 12 years, 700 ml, 43%

Hay, floral, honey, plume, raisin, citrus
Dried flower, toast, chocolate, honey, orange
Medium length, roasted dark coffee, orange peel, woody
Comment: Mild aroma, perfume, dried flower and hay, honey sweetness, little sour of plume. Light body, not sweet as to smell. Medium length aftertaste, a bit bitterness from toasty and tannin. Very good smell, blossom & perfume. A smooth, soft and perfume whisky but simple. Good daily dram, if price can be neglected.

Hibiki 12 years

Hibiki is one of the major product lines in Suntory. For standard bottlings, there are the youngest 12 years old, classic 17 years, premium 21 years and flagship 30 years old. The recent new release includes those special fancy labels and duty free exclusive versions, as well as the NAS (No Age Statement) bottling. The new NAS Hibiki is named Harmony. By the price level suggested, this new NAS Harmony becomes the elementary bottling in this product line.

The Hibiki Harmony which I am going to introduce is not the current elementary version. It was one of the two special editions released in 2013.

Hibiki  Mellow Harmony, 700 ml, 43%

The formula of Hibiki Mellow Marmony is based on standard 17 years old by adding some Yamazaki malts of more than 30 years ago, limited to 4,000 bottles. There was another special edition released at the same time, the Deep Harmony, also based on standard 17 years old formula, blended with Hakushu malts aged in ex-red wine cask , limited to 4,000 bottle as well.

The Hibiki whisky is famous in smooth and soft. Now harmony plus mellow that the style of this Hibiki is very obvious.

Nose: Preserved plum, fresh apricot, apple, chocolate, sandalwood
Palate: Honey, plum, coffee, citrus peel, spices
Aftertaste: Medium length, coffee grounds, toasted wood
Comments: Very sweet and soft aroma, especially the sweet with sour preserved plum, fresh apricot, delicious apple, delightful chocolate and faint wood at back. Soft and smooth body, balance between sweet and bitter. Medium length aftertaste, trended to toasty. A whisky of soft and smooth but with dimensions, good example to blended whiskies. Overall it is soft and sweet but balanced with adequate bitterness and toasty, a good whisky for leisure time.

Hibiki Mellow Harmony

今時今日 Hibiki 響 不用多介紹了吧，響的定位，是送禮級別的高級酒款，自一九八九年上市開始，除了早期少數的無陳年標示版外，響的"入門"版是響十七年陳，真的是不同凡"響"。

直到二零零九年，三德利 Suntory 才推出較親民的十二年陳，但當時的首發市場不是日本也不是亞洲，卻是歐美。這款十二年陳的響可不是簡單的下調了來自山崎 Yamazaki，白洲 Hakushu 和知多 Chita 原酒的年期，其部份成份酒是陳年於日式梅酒桶的。梅酒桶陳威士忌，很特別了吧。

我喝的是約二零一三年的酒，不肯定是否和現時的相同。另外，聽聞響十二要停產，又，現在很多酒廠，當然包括三德利在內，主力推出無陳年標示 No Age Statement (NAS) 的酒款，響亦於大軍之中。

Hibiki 響 12 years, 700 ml, 43%

氣味: 乾草，花香，蜜糖，布冧，葡萄乾，柑橘
口味: 乾花，多士，朱古力，蜜糖，香橙
餘韻: 中等長度，焦香的黑咖啡，柑橘皮，木質
評語: 氣味溫和，清新的乾花和乾草氣息，點點的蜜糖香氣，帶微酸的布冧和柑橘氣味。酒身較輕，還是乾花蜜糖香橙等的味道，多鳥點烘焙的甘香。中等長度的餘韻，稍焦香甘苦。上佳充滿花果輕柔的香氣，不複雜但輕軟易飲，應該大部份人也會喜愛的口味，飲得過。

Hibiki 12 years

Hibiki 系列是 三德利 Suntory 旗下威士忌的王牌產品之一，標準酒款有經典的十七年陳，高級的廿一年，旗艦級的三十年和調有梅酒桶的十二年陳，還有一些比標準酒款同等陳年但貴很多的的甚麼花鳥風月富士風雲等的特別版和免稅限定版，與及近期各大酒廠"不約而同"推出的無陳年標示 No Age Statement (NAS) 的 Hibiki  響 Harmony。新的 Hibiki  響 Harmony 算是大眾市場的入門酒款，價格比十二年陳平，但由於是無陳年標示而我亦未有喝過，是否相對於酒質來說真的"平"，我未能評論。

我現在要介紹的 Hibiki  Harmony，可不是現時的標準版，是 2013 年推出的兩款特別版的其中一款。

Hibiki  響 Mellow Harmony, 700 ml, 43%

這款 Hibiki  響 Mellow Harmony 是以響十七的配方為基礎，調入三十年陳或以上的山崎 Yamazaki 原酒，穀物原酒則是來自知多 Chita 蒸餾廠，限量四千瓶。同期推出的另一款 Hibiki，是 Deep Harmony，同樣以響十七的配方為基礎，調入  ex-red wine cask 桶陳的 白洲 Hakushu，同樣是限量四千瓶。

說回這款要介紹的 Hibiki，名字叫 Mellow Harmony。Hibiki 已經是平衡柔和的了，還要 Harmony，再加上 Mellow，這款酒的風格看名字已經很明顯了。來喝喝看是否真的這麼芳醇和諧。於此多謝酒友賜酒。

氣味: 蜜餞梅子，鮮杏，蘋果，朱古力，檀木
口味: 蜜糖，梅子，咖啡，柑橘皮，香料
餘蘊: 中等長度，咖啡渣，燻木材
結論: 很甜美柔和的香氣，甜中帶酸的蜜餞梅子尤其吸引，清香的鮮杏，香甜的紅蘋果，甘醇的朱古力，幽幽的木材香氣。酒體香軟，柔順，甘甜兼備。中等長度的餘蘊，甘香為主。很柔順易飲但不單調的一款酒，充份展現出調和威士忌的特性和優點，雖然整體偏香軟甘甜，仍有點點焦苦平衡，餘暇輕鬆時的佳品，正斗之作。

Hibiki Mellow Harmony

HIBIKI

“響”是三得利旗艦級調合威士忌(Blended Whisky)。是最廣為香港人認識的日本威士忌之一。

響21年, 是以貯藏之21年以上的山崎原酒為基酒, 加入其他酒齡21年以上穀類或麥芽原酒。其中山崎原酒, 經過梅酒桶過桶, 為酒體增加果香。

響酒樽垂直望是24邊形， 寓意24節氣交替的和諧平衡，單是酒樽設計， 已是型格非常！日文"響"的意思是harmony，如交響曲悅耳動人。品嘗響21時，不禁令人想起巴赫名曲－Air On G String。

＂《Air On G String》原來是在巴哈所創作四套管弦樂組曲當中的第三組，這一套組曲中有五首曲子，分別是《序曲》（Ouverture）、《歌曲》（Air）、《嘉禾舞曲》（Gavotte）、《布雷舞曲》（Bourree）、《吉格舞曲》（Gigue），其中第二首《歌曲》只以弦樂器演奏，之後由於它的旋律太美，一位德國小提琴家威廉就將它改編為只以小提琴四條弦當中的G弦（小提琴的四條弦分別是E弦、A弦、D弦、G弦，其中G弦的音階最低）演奏的獨奏曲，這份演奏充份展現出G弦的特色，柔和而溫暖，因此這首《歌曲》就被通稱為《G弦之歌》，流傳至今。＂

資料來源:http://mymedia.yam.com/m/116842

小堤琴演奏動人簡潔的主旋律，以大提琴/低音大提琴等弦樂器作伴奏。沒有洶湧澎湃的編曲，著力於表現出Ｇ弦的溫婉和諧。就如響２１表現出，層層緊扣的木質與黑果香氣～～～

Hibiki Front

Hibiki back

香味: 椰絲, 嘉應子, 烏梅, 多士, 忌廉, 山渣

口味: 提子乾, 椰絲, 花蜜, 百合, 茉莉, 檀木

餘韻: 中長, 乾木, 提子乾, 乾花, 忌廉

沿著陽光普照的橡木橋, 在陽光下騷香的木纖維香氣撲面而來。跟隨住香味的帶領，到達農場。打開圍欄進入黑果樂園，進入園內發現不只是果園, 更是五彩的花圃。 果香混合著香氣，美不勝收。採下飽滿的果實和美豔動人的鮮花，放進滕籃，好讓美好時光留住。但是時間不會為任何人事停留，不知不覺間，籃子內的花果已乾透。青春的味道留不住，怱怱忙忙追追遂逐，一轉眼已到了黃昏。拿著昏黃的乾果乾花，原來已回到原來的橋上。

總結：
聞香時以木質與黑果香氣為主，椰絲，嘉應子氣味香甜。入口再散發出木香及花香。餘韻以乾果亁花作結。
酒精感輕, 酒體柔順, 平衡與圓融, 層次豐富。如絲幼滑, 甜美可口 。
聞，飲，餘韻，香味由鮮至乾一層一層緊扣的變化，實在非常出色。可見三得利調合及釀陳功力非凡！柔順的酒體亦容易受普羅飲家接受，難怪受香港一眾＂達人＂追捧。

High ball

P.S. 響21 Highball
由三得利公司"研發" ，以一份酒＋兩份梳打水＋冰的Highball飲法。
係威士忌deep web見到有人推介響21 既呢種敗家飲法。人一世，物一世，所以跟風試試！！
加冰後，大部分香味被雪藏，談不上有什麼層次。
不過清甜可口，嘉應子,提子乾味非常清爽~~~ 可謂消暑佳品!!!