Hibiki 40 is the high-water mark of Suntory's blending tradition: the oldest blended whisky the house has ever released, drawn entirely from stock laid down decades ago. Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo built it from five whiskies, every one at least forty years old — Yamazaki matured in American, Spanish, and Mizunara oak; lightly peated Hakushu from 1974; and Chita grain from the late 1970s — then rested the marriage six months before bottling. Only 400 bottles were made for the entire world, launched in 2024 at $35,000, each in a thirty-faceted Kagami Crystal decanter (the crystalmaker to the Japanese Imperial family) finished with maki-e gold lacquer and mother-of-pearl, housed in a box of twelve Japanese woods. As both a scarce blend at the top of the Hibiki line and an object of craft in its own right, it is a collectible of the first order — the kind of bottle that anchors a serious collection.

A whisky of this age and scarcity is for drinking neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass that gathers the aromatics. Give it time in the glass rather than water or ice: four decades in oak have already done the work, and the loquat, honey, and fig open on their own. If anything, the smallest drop of water can be used to coax the nose, but the blend is balanced to be taken as it is.

Hibiki is the blended whisky of the House of Suntory, marrying malt whisky from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries with grain whisky from Chita. For the 40 Year, chief blender Shinji Fukuyo drew on five whiskies, all at least forty years old: Yamazaki distilled in 1978 and 1983 and matured in American white oak; Yamazaki from 1980 in Spanish oak; Yamazaki from 1983 in Mizunara, the native Japanese oak that lends sandalwood and incense; lightly peated Hakushu from 1974, its smoke long softened; and Chita grain whisky from 1979 and 1981, which adds jasmine and lychee and carries the long finish. Once blended, it was rested a further six months and bottled at 43% ABV. Suntory's whisky story begins in 1923, when Shinjiro Torii founded the Yamazaki Distillery, the first in Japan.

Midnight Whiskey is an authorized retailer; every bottle is sold in its original packaging and inspected before it ships. Orders are double-boxed with protective padding and dispatched with temperature-aware handling. Delivery requires an adult signature: the recipient must be 21 or older and present valid government-issued photo ID. For how we verify and grade what we sell, see our authentication standards; for white-glove acquisition and storage, see the Vault Concierge; and for how we source and vet listings, see our editorial sourcing standards.

What is in the Hibiki 40 Year blend?

Hibiki 40 is a blend of five malt and grain whiskies, all at least forty years old, from Suntory's Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries. It draws on Yamazaki matured in American, Spanish, and Mizunara oak, lightly peated Hakushu, and Chita grain whisky, composed by chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. It is bottled at 43% ABV.

How rare is the Hibiki 40 Year?

Only 400 bottles were released worldwide, at a launch price of 35,000 dollars, making it the oldest blended whisky Suntory has ever released. It is presented in a faceted Kagami Crystal decanter finished with maki-e gold lacquer and mother-of-pearl. The whisky was rested six months after blending.