The House of Suntory recently released Hibiki 40 Year Old, a blend of Japanese whiskies from its distilleries – Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita each matured for over four decades.
Via barrels handed down from one blender to the next, Hibiki 40 Year Old has been made possible thanks to decades of expertise and experience in the art of blending. The blenders carefully selected a variety of The House of Suntory’s ultra-high-aged whiskies produced by earlier generations.
Suntory’s Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo crafted Hibiki 40 Year Old. “I would like people to enjoy the pure aroma that has been sharpened over the years; the tranquility of old temples and storehouses and the nostalgic warm feeling that accompanies them,” said Fukuyo.
The expression demonstrates the next chapter for Hibiki, where its signature “creating harmony” not only resonates with the Mizunara Japanese oak and the Spanish oak, but is further elevated with the aged American oak.
To honor Japanese craftsmanship, The House of Suntory has partnered with the Japanese washi artist Eriko Horiki to hand craft the washi label on the Hibiki 40 Year Old box. The bottle is fashioned from crystal glass, boasting 30 facets intricately crafted by a renowned glassware maker known as a trusted purveyor to the Japanese imperial family. It is decorated with traditional Japanese maki-e, mother-of-pearl inlay, and gold lacquer to pay homage to our heritage and tradition.
The wooden box (see above) is made of 12 kinds of Japanese wood such as pine and zelkova, and has 12 faces, representing the 12 months of the year. Around the box, flowers and grasses of the four seasons of Japan are depicted in maki-e lacquer, representing the changing seasons and linking the past and future through Hibiki.
Only 400 bottles of Hibiki 40 Year Old will be released, with each bottle retailing for $35,000.
