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*
Flash 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*
The 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.
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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