Photo courtesy of Foundations 3D
On Friday October 18th, 2013, The Whisky Woman and I had the following chat via text messaging while she waited for her ANA flight to take off from JFK (she was headed to Japan for a vacation with her husband)…
Whisky Woman (WW): Holy shit – they’re serving Hibiki 17 on my flight!!!!!! *insert tears of joy smiley emoji here* (Biz class doesn’t suck! <-flyer points)
G-LO (G): Holy shit is right! Bring me back a bottle. For a fee of course! *insert shit eating grin emoji here* Have a great time!
WW:
if there is room – u got it
G: Woohoo! Don’t go to any trouble. I just tease. Kinda. *insert winking, sly grin emoji here*
if there is room – u got itFlash forward to Tuesday, December 17th, 2013, and the following texts flew back and forth…
WW: I’m sending the smallest thing to u at ur office – just an FYI
G: Ohhhhh. Interesting! *insert shit eating grin emoji here* Is it gonna have “alcohol” stickers all over it? *insert surprised look with flushed cheeks emoji here*
WW: Perhaps!
but don’t shake it vigorously
G: Heh. Yes Ma’am!
WW: *insert blushing smile emoji here*
but don’t shake it vigorouslyThe package arrived the next day (December 18, 2013 to be exact), and the following texts ensued…
G: Just got the package. You’re a loon! In a nice way of course. Thanks so much for the present. You didn’t have to do that. Greatly appreciated! You KNOW it will make its way to Instagram. *insert winking, sly grin emoji here* Safe and sound. *insert Christmas tree emoji here*
Our Hibiki 17 sample along with a stack of Brenne Whisky Infused Brown Butter Financiers by Spirited Brooklyn
WW: Yay!!!! Be sure to tag “Spirited” bakery!
I’m so glad it got there so fast.
I’m so glad it got there so fast.This is yet another example of the kindness and generosity of the #WhiskyFabric. They are the real reason why there is no end in sight for this blog!
Now that you know how I acquired this sample, let’s get on with the review…
- Appearance: Golden yellow with a hint of amber color.
- Aroma
- Limpd: Sweet, fragrant with hits of sugar, vanilla and honeysuckle and just a faint note of the barrel.
- G-LO: Very fruit forward with plum and grilled pineapple notes. Also getting maple, nutmeg, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon.
- Taste
- Limpd: A little velvety with a mild sweetness upfront (sugar and maybe a little lemon tart) and then a good bit of cinnamon (not over powering) just present from mid-palate through to the long gentle finish with some additional sweetness and a little bit of toasted barrel.
- G-LO: Very light and sweet with little to no alcohol burn. Starts off sweet with those plum and maple notes coming through. A hint of cinnamon heat at mid-palate, but never overwhelming. Intensifies a bit at the finish. Ends with a sweet and lightly spiced medley of flavors. A touch of sweet pipe tobacco shows up in the aftertaste.
- ABV: 43%
The Verdict
Limpd: We had the good fortune of having a little bit of the 17 a week or so ago with the ROK and this additional sample was like an extra gift from Christmas. It is beautifully blended and at only 43% ABV is soft enough to be enjoyed all night long. This is a fantastic whisky!
G-LO: There’s been a lot of talk about the Suntory takeover of Beam Global. Personally, I think Beam is in very capable hands. Suntory has yet to disappoint, and their Hibiki 17 is yet another superb whisky. It’s so, so drinkable with a lovely balance of sweet and lightly spiced flavors. Here’s hoping that I get my hands on a full sized bottle very, very soon!
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