Hibiki 21 Year Old in a gourd-shaped Arita porcelain bottle painted with peonies, holding 600mL. Suntory released it in 2007 as the Arita half of that year's Special Bottle Collection.
About This Whisky
The gourd, or hyōtan, is a traditional lucky shape in Japan, and the peony has long been painted as a flower of prosperity. Here the peonies are worked in iro-e overglaze enamels around the double-bulbed body. It is filled with Hibiki 21 Year Old, where every malt and grain component has spent at least 21 years in cask.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Ripe plum, black cherry and warm caramel, then a thread of incense.
- Palate: Velvety, with honeycomb, dried apricot and gentle oak spice.
- Finish: Long, calm and lightly sweet, with sandalwood and cocoa.
Serving & Food
Treat each pour as a small occasion: a stemmed tasting glass, no ice, and the whisky at roughly room temperature. It sits nicely with roast goose, aged Gouda, or candied chestnuts after dinner.
How to Enjoy
Collectors building a run of the Hibiki ceramic series, and anyone marking a special year with a bottle made for display.
Product Details
Producer: House of Suntory
Expression: Hibiki 21 Year Special Bottle Collection
Style: Japanese blended whisky
Age: 21 years old
ABV: 43% ABV
Volume: 600mL ceramic decanter
Country: Japan
Presentation: Arita porcelain gourd-shaped bottle with overglaze peony design
Release Year: 2007
Origin: Japan
About the Distillery
Suntory has paired its spirits with Japanese ceramics for decades. Its own record of the Special Bottle Collection goes back to 1992, and most years list one bottle from the porcelain kilns of Arita and one from Kutani. The early editions held Suntory special whisky, brandy or pure malt Yamazaki and Hakushu, and several carried the zodiac animal of the year, from boar to tiger to rabbit.
From 2001 the collection settled on Hibiki 21 Year Old, keeping the same 600mL size each year. Seen together, the bottles work as a small survey of Japanese porcelain decoration.