![]() Click the link provided for a list of available locations! Most of the shops listed below have multiple locations throughout Tokyo.At the same time, don’t feel pressured to buy anything at all. Be polite and ask for help if you want it. ![]() Don’t bother asking what a shop has “behind the counter” or whatever schmoozy bullshit.Many liquor stores don’t take credit cards, nor do they have English-speaking staff.So if you’re willing to deal with some hassle, you can still take advantage of duty-free. Also, many of the shops listed below have duty-free counters. If you have time to kill before your flight departs, it’s worth a look, but do not assume you’ll be able to find anything decent there. Airport duty-free is not what it used to be.While going remote does increase the likelihood of finding something, Tokyo itself has many, many neighborhoods that are off the tourist route. Often you’ll hear people say you need to venture into the countryside outside of Tokyo, off the tourist route, to find Japanese whisky.It’s just that given this current shortage of aged Japanese whisky, there is unfortunately no single place in Tokyo that reliably keeps bottles of decent Japanese whisky in stock for affordable (=MSRP) prices. It’s not that I don’t know where liquor stores are in Tokyo. Before you close this tab on your browser, please allow me to explain. To be blunt: I don’t know, assuming you don’t have unlimited money. Or sometimes I am asked more complicated ones, like “how can I source a case of Ichiro’s Malt” or “where can I buy Japanese whisky during a 5-hour layover?” asks: “Hello Whiskey Richard, where can I buy bottles of Japanese whisky in Tokyo?” After buying and finishing a bottle of this, I don’t think I’d pick up another and instead save up a couple bucks more and buy a Yamazaki 12 instead.Mailbag time! Reader R.S. So while Hibiki Harmony presents good flavors and is more readily available than Yamazaki or Hakushu malts, value is not one of its strong suits. Outside of Japan, there are other whiskies from Scotland, Tiawan, or even Australia that I feel like offer more depth and excitement than what Hibiki Harmony has achieved. While it may not have the robust power or the layers of depth of some of their age stated whiskies, Hibiki Harmony is a great way to enter the Japanese whisky world.īut at an $80 MSRP, I struggle to justify the price when compared to other whiskies of similar quality. His work in choosing among the 1.5 million that Suntory has in their warehouses has paid off in a light, fruity, exotic blend that is quintessentially Japanese. The finish also features burnt sugar and a dash of star anise.įinal Thoughts: Hibiki Harmony is a great example of Suntory chief blender - Shinji Fukuyo’s - incredible skill for blending. The mouthfeel is pretty light for such a flavorful whisky.įinish: Medium finish that features more exotic woods and tropical fruit. Hints of candy corn, green apple, and a burst of acidity come through as well. There is a dusty quality about the whisky, which makes me wonder if there is a portion of older distillate in here. Then come more exotic woods like sandalwood and old mahogany. White chocolate, lemon peel, and tropical fruits come through first. ![]() Palate: At first sip, there seems to be a lot going on here. A good amount of oak and sandalwood also makes an appearance. This is a balanced nose, with some tart nuances blended with spun sugar and yellow fruits. Nose: The nose starts off with corn, tropical sugars, with a bright floral quality to it. *The images are of my 30th Anniversary bottle, but the whisky itself was from a standard Hibiki Harmony bottle*ĭistillery Name: Suntory’s Chita, Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries contribute to this blend So while none of these bottles have specific batches numbers on them, your bottle may have slightly different characteristics to the one I am tasting. A Suntory brand ambassador told there that may be up to 100 different whiskies featured in a batch of Hibiki Harmony, making it an evolving and complex process to recreate flavors and textures. Hibiki Harmony, in particular, is made using malt whiskies from the Hakushu and Yamazaki distilleries, and also includes grain whisky created at Suntory’s lesser-known Chita distillery. ![]() Blending takes malt and grain whiskies from different casks, years, and styles to create a harmonious blend that delights the palate and produces more complex notes than a single malt may be able to achieve. Hibiki has always stood as the purest example of Japan’s skill at the art of blending. Hibiki is Suntory’s famous blended whisky line that has won numerous awards around the world for its excellent age stated and specialty expressions.
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