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