The Hibiki 17 Year Old Mount Fuji edition is one of the most coveted incarnations of Suntory's already legendary blend. Released in a limited run of decanters etched with the snow-capped silhouette of Japan's most sacred mountain, it carried the same liquid that had won the Hibiki 17 the title of World's Best Blended Whisky multiple times at the World Whiskies Awards — but in a presentation that turned the bottle itself into an object of devotion.
Inside the glass is the Hibiki blend at the height of its powers: malt whiskies from Yamazaki and Hakushu married with Chita grain whisky, with a proportion finished in plum liqueur casks and a precious thread of mizunara-aged malt running through the heart of the blend. The result, at the full 17 years of age, is a whisky of extraordinary harmony — honey, dried apricot, candied orange and the perfumed sandalwood incense that only Japanese oak can bring.
The Hibiki 17 was discontinued worldwide in 2018 alongside the Hakushu 12, as Suntory's stocks of mature whisky finally gave way under global demand. The Mount Fuji decanter has since become a grail bottle for collectors and an aching memory for those who knew it as a regular pour.
Open it for an occasion that deserves it. There will not be another.
