Objects of desire | Spirits

HIBIKI - THE EPITOME OF JAPANESE ARTISTRY IN A BOTTLE

Hibiki whisky, the icon of The House of Suntory, is a contemporary symbol of Japanese luxury that creates harmony between nature & craftsmanship

There are whiskies you drink and there are whiskies that stay with you. Hibiki has always been the second kind.

The word itself means resonance, and it speaks to something far greater than what sits in your glass. It is the echo between nature and humankind, between tradition and innovation, between artistry and science. Launched in 1989 by Keizo Saji, a haiku poet, painter, and cultural visionary, Hibiki was conceived with a singular ambition: to bottle the very soul of Japan and share it with the world.

Before the first sip, the bottle commands attention. Twenty-four facets wrap around the vessel, each representing one micro-season from the traditional Japanese calendar. The label carries calligraphy by Tansetsu Ogino, where every brushstroke embodies the grace and balance of Japanese culture. A band of Kokimurasaki purple, a colour historically reserved for Japanese nobility and worn on kimonos for centuries, wraps the bottle as a mark of ceremony and rarity. This is not just packaging. It is Japanese artistry in its most refined form.

In the glass, Hibiki is luminous and delicate, a transparency that slowly unveils complexity. It opens with jasmine, lychee, and a whisper of rosemary, underscored by a mature woodiness on the nose. The palate brings honey-like sweetness, orange peel, and white chocolate. The finish is subtle and tender, with a long, spiced aftertaste that lingers gracefully.

Hibiki brings together whiskies from three soul places—Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita—which are aged in Mizunara Oak, a rare and sacred Japanese wood that adds remarkable depth and nuance. From over a million casks, only the very finest are handpicked for Hibiki.

What makes Hibiki truly special is how it brings together culture, artistry, and science in equal measure. The blending philosophy follows the principle of ‘wa’, seeking balance, harmony, and delicate integration over bold, dominant flavours. Three generations of Master Blenders have refined this legacy, guided by the same Miyabi ideal of elegance, grace, and sensitivity to the fleeting beauty of nature.

Hibiki is for those who find meaning in the details. Those who appreciate that true beauty lives in contrasts, and that the finest things in life deserve to be experienced slowly.

Serve it on a Marugori hand-carved ice ball. Refined elegance in a glass, an expression of Japanese culture enjoyed exactly as it was always intended.

HIGHLAND FLING

Glenmorangie’s sherry cask maturation journey has punctuated its aged portfolio with The Lasanta 15 Years Old. The interplay of bourbon casks, which lend soft elegance, and Oloroso sherry casks that impart depth and spice, create a sophisticated marriage of indulgence and balance. The result: a complex yet approachable profile, with notes of raisins, honey, toffee and clove, lifted by gentle hints of cinnamon. It’s time to toast layered performances.

Price: Rs. 9,601 (Mumbai); Rs. 6,540 (Delhi) and Rs. 7,370 (Bangalore); Select retail outlets

TRADITION IN EVERY DROP

Old meets new with finesse at the House of Suntory’s new drop: Toki Suntory Whisky Black. This new expression from the Toki portfolio, uses Hakushu heavily peated malt and Hakushu grain for a refined, gently smoky character. Enjoy it neat, as a refreshing Toki Black Highball or any other way; indulgence never needed a how-to manual.

Price: Rs. 5,500 (Maharashtra)
Availability: Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka

A NEW MALT TAKES FLIGHT

Indri has just stamped your passport to one of India’s finest liquid gold liquids with the launch of Indri Ilika—an expression created specifically for travel retail. Matured in a rare combination of Ex-Spanish Sherry and Ex-American Bourbon oak casks, the Indri Ilika is elegant, evocative and deeply rewarding; it embodies a fine balance between tropical fruit richness, gentle smokiness and remarkable depth. Cheers!

Price: US$ 80 (Rs. 7,545)
Availability exclusively through select global travel retail channels