Hibiki: Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary -Anniversary Blend-” lottery drawing has started. The first lottery will be held from 12/23 to 1/7. The second session is from 1/8 to 1/23.
Suntory would like to pay tribute to our predecessors and thank our customers, and would like to continue to connect the rich culture of life around the world for the next 100 years.
Suntory will release a special “Hibiki” bottle with these wishes in mind.
Details of the bottle and the lottery site are introduced below.
1. Hibiki: Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary -Anniversary Blend- (Japanese only)
1-2. Details
A sense of maturity derived from Mizunara oak barrels.
Sweet and fresh citrus aroma and pleasant acidity resonate with each other.
Carefully selected sake that is over 17 years old and has a rich character. In addition, Yamazaki Mizunara barrel malt sake, which is over 30 years old, and mature Chita grain sake were added and carefully blended. The result is a blend that combines the gorgeous aroma of “Hibiki” with a sense of solid maturity and complexity.
This is a special blend with an aroma and flavor that is befitting of the 100th anniversary.
The aftertaste is smooth and lingers for a long time. We hope you can feel the thoughts that continue into the future.
Color
Amber
Fragrance
Brilliant, rich, sweet and fresh citrus aroma
Taste
Richly fruity with a hint of acidity
Aftertaste
Beautiful and pleasant lingering aftertaste
1-2. design
Connecting the Japanese sense of beauty to the future.
The bottle is surrounded by a calligraphic design of beautiful lines. The word “MiMoMusubu” means to connect one’s “body” and “beauty” to the future. Each letter is depicted with a lucky pattern that expresses respect for nature and a wish for happiness.
Reference: Hibiki: Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary – Anniversary Blend – Lottery Sales
1-3. thoughts of chief blender Shinji Fukuyo
Hibiki” is a perfect choice for the anniversary.
When we decided to make a bottle of “Hibiki” to commemorate 100 years of whisky production, instead of Yamazaki or Hakushu, we felt that “Hibiki” was appropriate for the occasion. We conducted a series of tastings, imagining Hibiki with a gorgeous aroma and a round, elegant flavor that would brighten the faces of anyone who tasted it.
We used a wide range of sake in this blend. Some are lively and vibrant, while others have been aged for a long time, so if you have been drinking “Hibiki” for a long time, you may think it is similar to “17nen,” while others may say it is closer to “30nen. We hope that while enjoying the diversity of flavors that change depending on how you drink it and the occasion, you will also enjoy the elegance that is unique to Hibiki, and the calm and gorgeousness that comes from its long aging process.
Over the past 100 years, Suntory has constantly worked to improve the quality of its products. By looking at the remaining recipes and stock of original sake, we can imagine what the previous blenders were thinking and what kind of aroma they were aiming for. There is no clear message from blender to blender, saying, “This is how we make it. However, sometimes the time spent together in the blender’s room or a casual conversation reminds me of what my predecessor said at that time, and I decide on the final flavor. When it came to deciding where to land with this anniversary blend, many memories came to mind. I believe that in the making of Hibiki, as well as in the making of Suntory whiskey, now, in the past, and in the future, good sake, blending techniques, and the chain of blender’s memories passed down from generation to generation will protect the style and evolve it to even greater heights.
Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory Chief Blender
Product Specifications & Lottery Information
| Product Name | Hibiki Suntory Whiskey 100th Anniversary -Anniversary Blend |
| Sake Category | Japanese blended whiskey |
| Cask Sake | 17 years old or older, 30 years old or older Mizunara oak casks, Chita grain casks |
| Number of bottles | 2 lots, 3000 bottles each time |
| Alcohol content | 43% alcohol by volume |
| Suggested Retail Price | 55,000 yen (tax included) |
Application period
Two times in total, the first round is from 12/23 to 1/7. The second lottery will be held from 1/8 to 1/23.
Lottery application site
Hibiki Suntory Whiskey 100th Anniversary” Whiskey Purchase Right Lottery Application
Please read the notes carefully before applying.
About Suntory Yamazaki/Hakushu/Chita Distillery
2-1. Yamazaki Distillery
| Name of Distillery | Suntory Yamazaki Distillery |
| Location | 5-2-1, Yamazaki, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-0001, Japan |
| Start of operation | 1923 |
Yamazaki Distillery was established in 1923 as the first malt whiskey distillery in Japan. It was a time when whiskey was still a rare drink for the general public. Yamazaki distillery was established in 1923, at a time when whiskey was still a rarity among the general public. With this passion, Shinjiro Torii set out to make whiskey.
Shinjiro insisted on the Japanese climate. Water” and “environment” were especially important. Yamazaki is a village of famous water called Minaseno, which was written in Manyo poetry.
The water in this area, loved by the tea master Sen no Rikyu, was ideal for whiskey production. The natural environment was also perfect.
Yamazaki, located southwest of Kyoto and surrounded by thick bamboo forests at the foot of Mt. Located at the confluence of the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu Rivers, and surrounded by mountains, the area is prone to thick fog and has a mild and humid climate, which are ideal conditions for the maturation of whiskey.
Shinjiro decided to make Yamazaki the home of his whisky, saying, “Yamazaki is the only place with this water and climate to make good whisky.
Reference: YAMAZAKI MOMENTS
Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
1923 Yamazaki Distillery was built. First whiskey distillery in Japan.
1929: The first domestic whiskey “Shirofuda” is released.
1937 “Kakubin” (square bottle) is released
1984 Single malt whiskey “Yamazaki” is released
1992 Single Malt Whiskey ” Yamazaki 18years ” is released.
1998 Single Malt Whiskey “Yamazaki 25years” was released.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
For more information about Yamazaki Distillery, please refer to this article.
2-2. Hakushu Distillery
| Distillery name | Suntory Hakushu Distillery |
| Location | 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi 408-0316 |
| Start of operation | 1973 |
In 1973, more than 50 years after Japan’s first whiskey was produced, the Hakushu Distillery was completed in a lush forest of approximately 820,000 square meters at the foot of Mount Kai-komagatake in the Southern Alps, blessed with abundant nature.
The brewing water is surrounded by the moist atmosphere of the forest, and the Hakushu malt is made from the pure and soft natural water of the Southern Alps, polished by granite. The long maturation process amidst the changes of Japan’s unique four seasons is the source of the aromatic and refreshing Hakushu flavor.
In 2014, four pot stills were added at a cost of 1 billion yen, bringing the total to 16. A wide variety of pot stills of different sizes and shapes are used to make different types of sake. The cellar is a high-ceilinged rack type. Temperature and humidity are not controlled by human hands, but left to nature.
1973: Hakushu Distillery built
1994 Hakushu 12 Year Old is released
2006 Hakushu 18years old is released
2008 Hakushu 25years old was released
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Image Exhibit: Suntory Official Mori no Distillery
For more information about Hakushu Distillery, please also see this article.
2-3. Chita Distillery
| Distillery Name | Suntory Chita Distillery |
| Location | 16 Kitahama-cho, Chita-shi, Aichi 478-0046, Japan |
| Start of operation | 1973 Chita Distillery |
Chita Distillery, located on the Chita Peninsula overlooking Ise Bay, is a grain whiskey distillery established by the Suntory Group in cooperation with the Zen-Noh Group and is one of the three domestic whiskey distilleries of the Suntory Group, along with the Yamazaki and Hakushu malt whiskey distilleries. Here, they have supported grain whiskey made from corn. The Chita distillery uses continuous distillation to produce three types of grain whiskey, clean, medium, and heavy, which is unique in the world.
 |
 |
 |
|
Image source: What is Suntory Whisky “Chita”?
For more information on the Chita Distillery, please see this article.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
