Hibiki Whisky

If prizes were being given out for the sheer elegance of a whisky's packaging (which they may well be) then surely the beautiful decanter shaped bottles that hold the Hibiki blends would feature high on the awards list. Hibiki, meaning “resonance” in Japanese, is arguably Japan’s most famous blended whisky, not least because of the scene in Lost in Translation where Bill Murray’s character films an advert for it.

Anyone who has tried Hibiki will know that it’s fame is well deserved. Hibiki’s exquisite blends typically contain a mixture of malt and grain whiskies from three distilleries - Hakushu, Chita and Yamazaki. The brand was introduced in 1989 by Suntory and originally featured age statemented blends at 17 and 21 years. Today only the 21 year old is available in Hibiki’s core range alongside a no-age-statement expression - Hibiki Harmony. These are accompanied by occasional limited edition releases.