Hibiki Harmony Master’s Select
Whisky : Hibiki Harmony Master’s Select
Country/Region : Japan
ABV : 43%
Cask : Various
Nose : Floral, honey, and pastries. Notes waxy honeycomb, honey suckle, and mild tea notes were followed by semi-sweet pastries. Old cedar beams, dried tree resin, and a mild ginger-pepper spice.
Palate : Light mouthfeel with a pleasant sweetness and notes of honey, pastries, and herbal tea. Rich golden graham crackers, sweet honey, gentle old oak spice, and a mild nuttiness came through. The dram became more herbaceous over time with herbal tea and a subtle cream at the end.
Finish : Light and pleasant with dried oak, honey, and crumbly shortbread pastries.
Score : 5
Mental Image : Teatime Flavored Macaron
Notes : Gentle and smooth, this was inoffensive and easy to drink, which surely must be a mark in its favor. I was surprised just how much more complexity and depth there was to this compared to my prior encounters with Hibiki Harmony. I often see this at Duty Free stores and never really bothered with it as there were always better options to be had in the direction of scotch. I do not think I will be grabbing this, but if I failed to find a worthy single malt, then I would not feel bad having a bottle of the Master’s Select on hand, especially to share with guests.
Overall, a pleasant bottle that is absolutely sure to please those on the look out for a mild and balanced whisky that does not overpower the palate. I suspect non-whisky drinkers are likely to find this very palatable and easy to drink, while a dedicated whisky-phile might find this a tad too light.
Image Credit : user Kyusuki on Whiskybase
