whisky review 229 - Hibiki 12yo
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2025
- it's Japanese, blended malt and grain, and it's rather tasty too.
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Dear Ralfy, It is always a complete pleasure to watch your reviews. You are a man that takes ego out of the equation and shares his immense experience with grace and love. It is GREATLY appreciated. The tasting of whisky is a great pleasure in life and to have a man, such like yourself, to add to the joy is a true pleasure. Much love to you great man and long may we have the absolute pleasure to hear from you. A big hug from an Australian of Scot heritage x
Your analysis of not only whiskey, but your perception of the mentality of its makers, and by extension an entire nation of people is very entertaining and thought provoking. I love it, Ralphy
. . . happy to help with the malt-moments !
Your review, and informative delivery on the process of Japanese ingenuity has made me rethink my entire understanding of how different cultures have a way or practice that give reason or honorable acknowledgment, that makes their way amazing or in the very least notable. Thank you sir, I wish you were my father. Sincerely.
It's a great dram with a beautiful bottle. My favourite Japanese Whisky is Nikka from the Barrel, it's outstanding.
Your video inspired me to buy Hibiki 17. Thanks to you now i know what means "really good blended whisky".
The bottle is lovely and the contents are even better .. I love this stuff.
I got a bottle of this today and its quite enjoyable indeed. The hint of banana in the finish was quite different for me. A nicely done whiskey.
For relaxing times... Make it Suntory time
I love how this bottle mimics the appearance of a whisky decanter.
Having a dram while watching this. Great stuff Ralphy =)
Ralfy! I was at Yamazaki Distillery last week. Very very good experience! This is the bottle I took home from Narita airport. Wish I bought the 25 years Yamazaki but too risky lol
I am looking forward to tasting this at WhiskyFest New York in a few days. You did a great job, as always. Thank you Ralfy and keep up the good work!!
You're a damned blessing, Ralfy. You have turned me away from swill and towards the light, ahahaha. Happy holidays, and note your viewers are loyal and fanatic!
Great review! I'm not a whisky aficionado like yourself by any means, but when I first tried Hibiki (12 y.o., later 17 y.o., the 21 and 30 y.o. are pretty much unavailable in my country, so I have yet to try them), I instantly fell in love with it. Hibiki 17 y.o. my favorite blended whisky nowadays. "Hibiki" means "harmony", and I think Suntory really does the name justice, judging by how smooth, delicate and balanced their blend is. Can't recommend it enough.
You look wrecked in this review Ralfy. Thanks for all the information and effort you put into your videos. Cheers
The BEST blended whisky I have ever tasted ever. Better than many single malts!
I love Japanese whisky. Yamazaki in particular. Hibiki is wonderful, but I prefer the Yamazaki. Hakushu is quite good as well. I've had some nice Nikka as well. If you've never tried a Japanese whisky, I suggest a 12 year old Yamazaki to start with. Can be found pretty easily, not too expensive, and just gorgeous.
Thanks for all your whisky review Ralfy! enjoy it big time here in Rotterdam Holland
Wish you had a Hibiki Harmony review. I’d love to know what your thoughts are on it
Hi Andrew,
I'm not an expert, but I've just tried the Hibiki 17 y.o. in a restaurant yesterday night, and at home I've both Yamazaki 12 and Hibiki 12 (lucky me !).
H17 and Y12 are great. H17 is more than twice the price of Y12 (in France).
- With the H17 you can really feel the age of the differents whiskies involves, and it's super-duper-smooth (vanilla, honey...) without being too sweet.
- With the Y12 I found more spice and heat, with a younger-whisky taste.
Cheers malt-mate !
Well, I'm happy I picked it up. I saw it on a shelf when I was looking to pick up a Glenfiddich, saw the Hibiki bottle there and after a 5 minute inner debate, decided that I'd regret it if I didn't try the Hibiki.
I'm not an aficionado on Whiskey by any stretch, but I know I like Whiskey/Scotch Whiskey. Looking forward to trying this.
very very interesting video Ralfy ! I might consider this one, if it's not very overpriced due transport. We'll see for how much it comes. Could be a nice newyear's present for myself. Greetings.
I just bought this here in the US for $76. It's amazing.
really enjoy your reviews as a new whiskey drinker they have helped me out on what to look for to add to my collection I have been wanting to try Japanese whiskey but it's hard to find in my area
Think this may be due a re-review if you've got a bottle in your archive Ralfy. ✌🏾
Ralfy - Have you tried the Yamazaki 2015?
Hibiki 17?
Or the cask strength 'Nikka from the barrell' whisky?
Would love to hear your thoughts. All of them worth the money.
How about a review for the NAS Hibiki Japanese Harmony ...
He said no more NAS whisky reviews on his channel
Oh you mean this same whiskey but more expensive, and no agestatement..
"Be very careful with water in this whiskey! It drowns fast." [As he adds a THIRD TABLESPOON!!]
(Nevermind the price-jump that has occurred in the 8 years since this video was posted.)
How much was it then?
I used to buy this for about £60 a bottle , it’s about £500 if you can find it now
It’s the NAS Hibiki Harmony is $110 in Hawaii’ …
Thats a gorgeous bottle.
Dear Ralfy,
Greetings from Poland. Maybe after this series you would consider making series about wood finishes. It is a hard topic and mamy whisky conservatists dont believe in wood finishing. I know that there were few reviews in the past but mini series would be nice. Im curious about your recomendations.
Fun Fact About the bottle is that if you count the sides around the bottle you will get 24 of them, each representing a month in the old japaneese calendar.
Ralfy! Have you've tried any Octomore lately?
From the worlds best Fredrik!
ralfy -
I have a bottle of this tasty whisky and I would like to use it as a decanter after finishing it off. Will the cork diminish the usefulness of the bottle as a decanter?
Picked up Nikka Taketsuru 12, and this one will be my next Japanese whisky. I am really enjoying the experience of it so far.
i am selling all this great stuff
I got my Dad a bottle of Yamazaki single reserve last Christmas. I cant decide wether to get him another Yamazaki this year or try Hibiki?
Hi ralfy! Am living in japan now and recently tried the hibiki 17 and liked iit a lot! Do you have a favorite japanese whisky?
@bassicperson
Visited the Suntory Whisky distillery near Kyoto last year. Definitely go there... The Whisky archive is gorgeous.
Great review! I'd love to see you do Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon. I know you did a bourbon set, but I'd really like to hear your review on this particular bourbon.
Hi Ralfy. I was waiting for the mention that Hibiki 12 is part-matured in Plum Liqueur casks, but it never came. Is this still the case?
Ralfy,u spoke of yor Triumph Bike, n I kno yor luvN it! 4me, its the older Leyland products, did I mention my 74TR6?! wow evry morn @ 9AM, conv down, wind whislin thru the hair! ahh gota Luv it...my1st luv. SMS a close 2nd,
but unlike great blends, they NEVER mix well!! Gospel g'buddy.
Stay safe maltmate! Rob-o
Hey Ralfy, have you found one video online that has shown any of the Japanese distilleries making a barrel from their Japanese oak? I'd really like to watch something like a cooper making a Japanese oak into a barrel,, thanks again!
+UNC Tarheels . . . never seen any of those videos.
+ralfystuff emailed the company and thought I would relay this to you and anyone else interested in Japanese oak: whisky.suntory.com/philosophy/
. . . entertaining marketing, some truth, some spin.
Hello Ralfy! Have you tasted the HIBIKI 17 also? I would be very interested in your opinion. Best greetings from Austria - love your vlog!
Got a bottle of this for my birthday and I'm rather enjoying it. Really nice all round, especially the finish. Which Triumph model do you have?
Will you be doing a review anytime soon of the Yamazaki 18 year old? Just received it as a Christmas present and I'd like to know how it stacks up.
Ralfy have you ever had a French whisky or plan to review one? I see they make some peated malts, I just wondered if they're any good.
I just had the Hibiki 12 AND THE 17 side by side it was so irresistible I just had to mix them and oh what a beautiful menage a trios! Ralfy thats a malt mention… MALTY MENAGE A TRIOS!!!
great stuff man ! Is that the Sicilian flag logo in brass behind you ?
Its on the coat of arms for the the Isle of Man
16:30 with that being said....what does whisky taste like that caters to the japanese palate?
Whatever mixes in a high ball, they’re obcessed
Love this stuff! Tastes a bit peppercorny...Which is a good thing!
Hey Ralfy, any plans to do a food and whisky pairing video in the future (something besides the stereotypical haggis)?
Both YAmazaki and Hakushu whiskies are not chilled filter, but are put through a charcoal bamboo filtration. My Hakushu 12yo gets a bit of mist after adding a bit water and waiting 10 + minutes. Love the 12yo! Wish you would do a review of that one soon Ralfy!
There is a new brand under the suntory distillery it's called Chita, I went to Japan recently and got one bottle for myself, it's very impressive, you should try and do a review on it.
Chita is a weak effort, amongst some great Japanese whiskey.
Ralfy, have you tried the Yamazaki 18 yo? If you haven't, I highly recommend it.
Found it, I guess this typing-thing requires me to put the Glencairn down to attain efficiency in my search. Do you have a chapter on the Hibiki 15 and the 18 yo?
Hello Ralfy! have you tasted the Hibiki 17 yr old? its quite good, balanced but strong.
I guess they might have done some chilled filtration after the blend was made. But other sources online do not confirm this.
Hey Ralfy, I have been looking for this bottle for a long time and finally found a small liquor store that has it for sale for 89$, should I buy it? The only places I see it online they sell it for nearly 200$... Didn't know if it was rare or not,...?
+UNC Tarheels True price for Hibiki 12 was $60-75 until it began to receive "hype" in the US which has made it hard to find. $89 is a reasonable price considering demand, I would say anything under $100 is an alright price. However, the if it is comparable to other whiskeys of the $80-100 range is a different argument. This truly is a good whiskey at a $70ish price.
hi Ralfy! speaking of Japanes whiskies, have you ever tasted the Karuizawa Spirit of Asama? As a lover of sherried stuff (although with little experience :-( ) I got the cask strength version and I was pleasantly impressed with it!
I will look out for this one.
Ralfy is right. This is good whisky. It's on the high side price-wise, but I feel it's worth it. This is the sort of whisky to impress a date on how sophisticated you (and her) hope you were.
Well done sir!
Hi Ralfy, if you want to try a Japanese grain whisky, look for Nikka Coffey grain whisky. I found it very enjoyable.
Check out Crown Royal Maple (if you can find it). It's finished in maple-toasted oak. I enjoy it, though it is quite sweet.
This is a thought that has occurred to me of late. What would a whisky be like if aged in a non-oak barrel? Let's say for instance, maple.
Any chance of seeing Kikori Japanese Rice Whiskey?
Watching this makes me want to drink the bottle ive been saving.
I've tasted 3 japanese whiskies so far..Keyword for me is "balanced" I totally agree with the motorcycle comparison. Where it lacks charactre (maybe) it makes up in quality and balance in spades. Methodical japanese craft
Very detailed review, thank you.
Would it be a bad idea to throw a ball of ice in or drink it strictly warm?
. . . have it both ways and see what works best for you.
very nice thanks ralfy
This is one of my favorites as well as Balvenie 21 year old port wood. This is a great bang per buck!!
@Moose Soup no but i must try it now! It is my destiny!!!
@Moose Soup yes in the usa
Ralfy, could you review alot more Canadian whiskeys? I find Canadian whiskey is a favorite choice for alot people, not just Canadians!
Ralfy you're great!
What's your opinion of the newest version of Hibiki (the NAS)? Personally I did not care for it. It tasted very cheap.
Never spend over $90 on ANY non age stated whisky is my rule. Basically Victoriana is the ceiling as it’s $89 around me and is about the limit of what NAS is ever worth
I have the Hakushu 12 ... Wish I could find Hibiki
japanese whiskys are really good the bad thing is most of japan whiskyes are on just 40% would like to see more cask strenght types.like the amazing karuizawa and hanyu my all times favourites.but the chichibu do seriously stuff on cask strenght just som more years on them will be lovely
Hibiki ha nomitai dayo :) Nihon ni, Suntory Zen ha nonda/nomimashita. Ok, given that I'm a Scotsman, I'll henceforth revert back to English. I tried Suntory Zen (950Y, just under a fiver back then) in Japan. The price put me off as I thought I'd get a nasty headache but I was pleasantly surprised. I've just finished reading an article on the 2013 World Whisky Awards. Japanese whiskies fared well :) Just type the above into Google and Bob's your uncle, ralfy :)
when are you going to review Icelandic or Norwegian whisky.?
+Andrew McEwen . . . when I can buy it in the UK
i thought you where from scottland
+AndreasFeliks KrutzeMcEwen The United Kindom is England + Scotland + Whales + Northern Ireland
Lol. Try getting any of these whiskys he mentions in this video presently!
Has this been discontinued and replaced by Hibiki Harmony?
+Daniel Feldman The 12 year is still around, but demand has exceeded supply quite a bit.
Have you tried Yamasaki 10 or 12 year old single malt yet
yes, 12 is better and both are 'average', better with Hibiki 12yo
Most Japanese whiskies, especially Hibiki are like a beautifully composed Symphony, whereas the craft whiskies from Scotland and some other countries too are like Jazz. Very astute comment, this whisky is made and marketed for the "western palate". I'm sure the Japanese have a distinctive profile or signature, that I've yet to taste. Mind, I've not had a lot of Japanese whisky and certainly not my area of expertise. I'm still trying to leave Islay, seemingly chained to the shore or magnetised.
What is wrong with chill filtration?
Suntory Whisky always reminds me of the movie Lost in Translation. If anything, that movie did make me want a glass of Suntory, lol. For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.
Tried it, delicious!!
@whoijacket I don't really get it. The meaning must have been lost in translation.
Nikka Coffey Grain...?
Ah,that is one of my fav whiskey too...Cheers!
Wow! Whisky drinkers have gone totally nuts with the price of this one in Australia now! What happened in the past few years? It's AU$650 for any 700 ml bottles that are left and I can get 17 yo Hibiki for the same price! I'm suspecting this 12 yo became the quaffing drink leaving the 17 yo as the collector's version, totally distorting the market. Having said that, I've got four bottles of this stashed away for a rainy day that I'd gladly swap for 80% of their value in Talisker 10 or Talisker 57' North!
. . . all Japanese whisky is now over priced !
in a word, polished.
What's the deal with the two spoons of water I guess?
what did he put in the whiskey ??
+Johnny9 water, I guess
***** depends on your taste, I guess, also the cask strength of a whisky is usually around 70-80% and some are sold that way, the others are pre_watered down by the estimate of the destiller
+Arcieri Keness adding a drop or two of water to a glass of whisky causes a dilution of the whisky that releases the whisky's aromas better. It is called "opening the nose" of a whisky. Some whiskies benefit from a touch of water and some don't so usually its a good idea to try both.
I don’t think he realizes that he put in 3 tsp of water.
15:35 something tells me that Japenese people could care less that the paper is made a traditional Japanese way (infact theyd probably it made on a fancy neon print with hologram lettering) ever been to Japan? yeah you'd understand.
And something also tells me that I bet over half of their sales is not from Japan. Infact id even say over 60% of Japanese whisky is sold elsewhere
TheJusnic82 I would agree.
excellent
Ralfy, please care for yourself, because you are a prize, and will be missed by many, yet always toasted.
Try the 17 year Hibiki, it's honeyed delightfulness :)
And that quality of the price is right..!
Are you from Isle of Man?
what about hibiki 17yo :p
@HarveyGrass i think it would be fair to look back the 2011 vlogs and list the highest ratings haha good luck harvey. no seriously, there must be some surprise's left. ;)
Great review. However the current value of this whisky is bonkers.