House of Suntory releases oldest blended whisky

House of Suntory has released Hibiki 40 Years Old, the oldest blended whisky ever released by the Japanese whisky maker, with a recommended retail price of £33,150.

Japanese multinational Suntory has announced the release of its latest whisky. The product is a blend of liquids from all three of Suntory’s distilleries in Japan — Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita — each matured for over 40 years.

Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory’s chief blender, has been responsible for crafting Hibiki 40 Years Old. He said of the new launch: “I would like people to enjoy the pure aroma that has been sharpened over the years; the tranquillity of old temples and storehouses and the nostalgic warm feeling that accompanies them.”

House of Suntory is releasing the whisky in the US, Asia Pacific and European markets, as well as the UK, where the recommended retail price is £33,150 (though price is at the sole discretion of the retailer).

Japanese washi artist Eriko Horiki has partnered with House of Suntory on the design, and has hand-crafted the washi label on the Hibiki 40 Years Old box. The bottle is crystal glass and features 30 facets designed by a glassware maker known to supply the Japanese imperial family. The bottle is decorated with traditional Japanese maki-e, mother-of-pearl inlay, and gold lacquer.

The wooden box is made of 12 kinds of Japanese wood including pine and zelkova, and has 12 faces, representing the 12 months of the year. Around the box, flowers and grasses of the four seasons of Japan are depicted in maki-e lacquer.

Only a limited number of bottles of the Hibiki 40 Years Old will be released to market at selected retailers, the company has said. The total list of markets includes: the US, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Northern Europe, China, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Global Travel Retail.

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