Suntory Hibiki Harmony & Suntory Toki

Happy Whiskey Wednesday, EARLY DOUBLE FEATURE EDITION!

I'll be out in the woods chasing Skinwalkers tomorrow night, so I'm busting out some fancy shit for ya'll today. Hailing all the way from the other side of the Earth, I've got some of the more coveted whiskey blends in the US, the Suntory Distillery's 'Hibiki Harmony" and "Toki", or "Time". They may not be the most expensive bottles I own, and admittedly the Harmony comes close, but they certainly are some of the most beautiful glasses in my possession.

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HIBIKI HARMONY
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Since I was too excited and poured myself the Hibiki first, we'll start there. The nose is fresh, VERY fresh, I get ginger, mint, julep, just all around heavy floral tones and a chocolatey, almost peppered smoke on the very tail end of it all.

- The nose -, even with those descriptions, is still hard to convey over text just how god damn fresh this blend is; it's truly as if you are standing in a Japanese garden, with extremely talented botanist plucking and snipping away at tiny herbs, seemingly endlessly, until you're met with a steaming warm, freshly brewed cup of fine tea.

- The palette - is sweet, smooth, buttery, and lightly peated, and interestingly has an almost cooling aloe sensation to it, that is almost too quickly fleeting, but offers a touch of toasted caramel as a parting gift.

- The finish - lasts longer than expected with warming, sugary sweetness that tickles your teeth and gums, leaving you wanting another sip, and more urgently, another sniff of the sweet floral aromas. This is without a doubt, one of the most delicate, pristine, and beautiful whiskys I have ever tried.

The Harmony is a blend of Japanese whiskeys from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita, all of which are owned by Suntory Group, which are aging their whisky's in American White Oak barrels, Japanese Oak barrels, Sherry barrels, and even introduce a touch of peat, giving it a taste that would give the untrained connoisseur points of Scotch; but the Harmony is a far cry away from any Highland, Islay or Speyside.

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SUNTORY TOKI
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The Toki, or "Time" whisky from Suntory is suprisingly, the same blend of distilleries from the Harmony above, but with an entirely different character. Meant to be "groundbreaking but timeless", I'd put this high up on a GO BUY THIS NOW list, because the price is more than right here.

The nose is even more delicate and 'pretty' than the Harmony, with sweet fruits, particularly apples and grapes flood into your nasal cavity, as if walking into a vineyard or all-natural candy shop, with a round, almost bubble-gum note on the end.

- The Palette, or taste, is coming in with a similar sweetness like eating green grapes, but quickly gives way to a more rustic, spicy note (likely from the Shita single malt) that introduces cinnamon, and becomes lightly astringent, bringing to mind Hibiscus tea; Don't let that give too much influence here, this whisky is still incredibly light.

- the finish leaves swiftly, no lasting impressions come with the Suntory Toki, and maybe that is for the better. You are left with a slightly buttery, "fruity" note - I put that in quotes due to the nature of the fruit; You're not tasting the body of a fruit on the finish, but more so the roundness and soft, earthy tone of the skin. The spice stays for a bit, but not nearly as present as on the tongue.

All in all, I think these are both fantastic selections and a GREAT way to start your foray into Japanese Whisky. These are both, unfortunately, limited distributions here in UT, but we DO have them. Go to your closest State Liquor AND Wine store (there is a HUGE difference) and check the glass Whisk(e)y cabinets, or refer to the DABC guide online. The Hibiki Harmony goes fast, so I'd definitely recommend picking that up first. I am looking (hoping) to get a second bottle here soon, as you're only allowed to buy one bottle per period of time... Not easy when the clerks know you!

On a final note... What photo do you think is better, the "side" view, or straight on?