This is Hibiki 21 Year Old in a 600mL Arita porcelain decanter shaped like a fūtaku, the bell that hangs from the eaves of Buddhist temples, and painted with a chain of linked rings. It belongs to Suntory's long-running series of whisky bottles made with Japan's porcelain towns.
About This Whisky
The bottle takes the shape of a fūtaku, with a bell-like body that flares at the base. Its painted pattern is wa-tsunagi, a traditional design of interlocking circles, applied in iro-e overglaze enamels on glazed porcelain. The whisky within is the 21-year-old Hibiki blend, filled to 600mL.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dark berries, soft toffee and polished wood.
- Palate: Smooth and layered, with fig, honey, cinnamon and a faint cocoa note.
- Finish: Aromatic and lasting, drifting towards sandalwood and dried orange.
Serving & Food
No chilling needed: serve at about 18 to 20°C in a Glencairn or a small white-wine glass, with a drop of soft water if you like. Miso-glazed black cod, grilled shiitake with sansho pepper or a slice of castella sponge all sit well beside it.
How to Enjoy
A centrepiece for a shelf of Japanese ceramics, or a thoughtful gift for someone who enjoys the craft as much as the whisky.
Product Details
Producer: Suntory
Style: Japanese blended whisky
Age Statement: 21 years old
Country: Japan
Presentation: Arita porcelain decanter, temple wind-bell shape, overglaze interlocking-ring design
Volume: 600mL
About the Distillery
Arita porcelain left Japan through the nearby port of Imari, which is why Europeans came to call it Imari ware. When China restricted exports in the mid-17th century, the Dutch East India Company turned to Arita, and from 1659 it shipped the porcelain in quantity to the Middle East and Europe. Some pieces even carried the company's VOC monogram.
The trade left a lasting mark. Large holdings of old Arita in Dresden influenced the early European porcelain makers, and the town of Arita has been twinned with Meissen in Germany since 1979.