Hibiki
The Japanese blend in the 24-faceted bottle, made from dozens of malt and grain whiskies. Everything about the flavor, alcohol percentage, how to drink it and the glass to serve it in.
A blend of dozens of whiskies from one house
Hibiki was launched in 1989 by Suntory, the Japanese house founded in 1899, which built Japan's first whisky distillery at Yamazaki in 1923. 'Hibiki' means resonance or echo, and the name refers to what a blend should do: bring individual whiskies together to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The bottle has 24 facets, representing the 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar.
Hibiki Harmony is the standard release, made from dozens of malt and grain whiskies from Suntory distilleries Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita, aged in five different types of casks, including mizunara, Japanese oak. The mizunara gives the whisky distinctive notes of sandalwood and incense. The result is smooth, honey-sweet and elegant, at 43%.
At a glance
Hibiki and Suntory's other whiskies
Hibiki is the house blend. These bottles come from the same stable and give you an idea of what else Suntory makes.
Hibiki Harmony
The standard release: dozens of malt and grain whiskies, aged in five types of casks. Honey, candied orange peel, and white chocolate.
Hibiki Harmony 100th Anniversary
The same blend in a special bottle celebrating the centenary of Suntory Whisky. A popular gift for collectors.
Suntory Toki
The approachable blend from the same house, made for highballs: grapefruit, green grape, mint, and thyme, with vanilla and ginger on the finish.
Suntory The Chita
The single grain from the Chita distillery, which also supplies the grain whisky for Hibiki. Smooth, with grain, honey, and spices.
Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve
The single malt from Yamazaki, Japan's oldest whisky distillery and one of the sources for Hibiki. Ripe fruit and Japanese oak.
Harmony is the classic; Toki is the bottle to mix with.
Honey, orange, and Japanese oak
Honey & orange
Honey, candied orange peel, and ripe fruit, with a subtle woody note of mizunara oak behind them.
Soft and rounded
Silky smooth and slightly sweet, with honey, white chocolate, and a touch of spice. Never sharp; this is a blend all about elegance.
Long and refined
A long finish with Japanese oak, a hint of sandalwood, and a touch of bitterness. Just enough to linger.
Hibiki Harmony's flavor profile. Toki is fresher and more citrusy; Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve is fuller and fruitier.
Three ways to drink Hibiki
Hibiki is a whisky to drink neat, but in Japan even an expensive blend goes into a highball. Both ways are correct.
Neat at room temperature
4 cl in a tulip-shaped tasting glass, without ice. Let it sit for a minute and smell it first: the honey and orange peel come through most clearly then.
Glass: tasting glass →As a Japanese highball
40 ml Hibiki in a long drink glass full of ice, topped up with 120 ml ice-cold sparkling water. Stir once from the bottom up and garnish with lemon peel. Light, refreshing, and very drinkable with food.
View recipe →As mizuwari
One part whisky to two to three parts cold water, over plenty of ice and stirred thirteen times: the Japanese way to drink whisky with a meal. Smoother than neat and surprisingly flavorful.
Glass: tumbler →Cocktails with Hibiki
A blend of this caliber gets lost in a strong cocktail. These four bring out its honey and fruit notes.
Japanese highball
Whisky with ice-cold sparkling water in a tall glass. In Japan, they make this with good whisky too.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar, bitters, and a large ice cube. More elegant with a Japanese blend than with bourbon.
Whisky Sour
Whisky, lemon, sugar, and egg white. Hibiki's honey notes make the sour rounder.
Manhattan
Whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters. A Japanese blend makes it smoother and fruitier.The right glass for Hibiki
A tulip-shaped tasting glass to bring together the honey and Japanese oak notes, and a tall long drink glass for the highball. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about Hibiki
Can’t find your question here? Browse our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol percentage of Hibiki?
What does Hibiki mean?
Is Hibiki a single malt?
What is mizunara oak?
Why is Hibiki so expensive?
Can you use Hibiki in a highball?
Buy Hibiki
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Hibiki online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and availability at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
