Suntory Is Releasing Its Oldest Blended Whisky: Hibiki 40

Whiskymaking hadn’t even made its way to Japan in 1923 when Shinjiro Torii founded the House of Suntory, effectively becoming the country’s first master blender. Now, the company operates five distilleries around the country, helping catapult Japanese whisky into one of the world’s leading spirit categories — its storied past beautifully presented in liquid form with the release of Suntory’s Hibiki 40, the brand’s oldest blended whisky expression to date. 

Suntory, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, will soon be releasing 400 bottles of Hibiki 40 at $35,000 each. The ultra-premium whisky, which clocks in at a relatively modest 43% ABV, pays homage to Suntory’s past by blending five different malt and grain whiskies — all of which are at least 40 years old, hailing from each of its storied distilleries, including Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita.

The five expressions — Yamazaki American Oak, Yamazaki Spanish Oak, Yamazaki Mizunara Cask, Hakushu Peated, Chita Grain Whisky — were blended, then rested for six months. And while each of the whiskies incorporates a distinct flavor profile to the final blend, it’s Yamazaki’s American oak barrels that have a major influence on the overall flavor of the whisky — imparting notes of tropical fruit and custard tart. 

“Due to over-aging, some whiskies lose the fruity notes and end up with a kind of antique flavor,” Shinji Fukuyo, fifth-generation chief blender, told Food & Wine. “With Hibiki 40, I wanted people to taste very elegant fruity notes along with authentic flavors [derived from the oak and age].” 

The Yamazaki Distillery, which is credited as the birthplace of Japanese whisky, prominently features woody and spicy notes from the use of its prized Mizunara oak barrels, created from 200-year-old oak trees native to the northernmost prefecture of Japan. Meanwhile, Hakushu — known for its slightly more peat-heavy expressions that draw flavors from its remote, natural surroundings — lends a very mild smokiness to Hibiki 40. That said, the distillery’s liquids also feature a subtle sweetness, thanks to the Spanish oak casks. Hibiki 40 tempers the smoke, spice, and peat with smooth caramel notes derived from the aged American oak barrels used at Suntory’s Chita Distillery. 

“Yamazaki American oak aged whisky is the main element for the overall aroma bringing flavor concentration and purity, while Mizunara and Spanish oak give a bit of accent,” says Fukuyo. “Hakushu’s unique smokiness and aged complexity provide depth, and Chita brings the sweet and smoothness to the liquid. Together, they form a layered and complex profile, where no single note dominates but rather enhances the overall balance.

“My inspiration was to create a harmonious balanced blend that evokes the image of an ancient Buddhist temple or historic library, a place where aged patina adds a subtle and refined beauty to Hibiki’s signature elegant fruity, floral flavor,” Fukuyo added.

To pay further tribute to the brand’s history, each aesthetic detail was taken into consideration. The vessels themselves are made of crystal and feature 30 hand-carved facets, mother-of-pearl inlays, and gold lacquer detailing — all created by a renowned Japanese glassmaker trusted by the imperial family. 

Meant to symbolize the seasons, the bottle is presented in a keepsake box comprised of 12 kinds of wood, all of which are native to Japan: cherrywood, hanki, birch, Mizunara, Sen, Konara, walnut, chestnut, maple, tamo, beech, Katsura. Adorned with a label that was hand-crafted by esteemed Japanese washi artist Eriko Horiki, the box features 12 sides, intended to represent the months of the year — a passage of time that is further depicted through paintings of leaves changing colors with the seasons. The message? This bottle transcends, and perhaps encapsulates, time.