The House of Suntory has introduced a limited-edition Hibiki Japanese Harmony created with Kyoto kimono house Chiso. The release combines a floral design inspired by traditional Japanese textile artistry with a blended whisky drawing on the expertise of three established Japanese distilleries.
The House of Suntory has unveiled a new limited-edition Hibiki Japanese Harmony in collaboration with Chiso, a Kyoto kimono house founded in 1555. Available in Malaysia from October 1, the release brings together more than a century of Japanese whisky-making experience and a textile tradition spanning almost five centuries.
While the bottle’s elaborate decoration is likely to attract collectors, the whisky behind it has a pedigree of its own. Hibiki is a blended Japanese whisky produced using malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries, each contributing different characteristics to the finished blend.
The House of Suntory may not have the more than four-century pedigree of Chiso, but the famed whiskymaker still has an impressive history. Suntory’s credentials in Japanese whisky date to 1923, when founder Shinjiro Torii began developing Yamazaki, Japan’s first malt whisky distillery. Located near Kyoto, Yamazaki established the foundation for the company’s approach to whisky production, which combines careful selection of raw materials, maturation, and blending to create a distinctive Japanese style.
The company’s distilling expertise subsequently expanded. Hakushu, established in 1973 in the forests of the Southern Japanese Alps, is known for producing malt whiskies with fresh, herbal characteristics. Chita, founded in 1972 on the Chita Peninsula, specializes in grain whisky, providing blenders with a different range of textures and flavours.
Together, these three distilleries supply the malt and grain whiskies used in Hibiki. The aim is not to showcase one distillery at the expense of the others, but to bring their different qualities into balance, producing a whisky whose character depends on the blender’s skill as much as the individual components.
A BLEND ROOTED IN CRAFT
Hibiki Japanese Harmony is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume. Its tasting profile begins with honey-like sweetness, candied orange peel, and white chocolate on the nose, followed by notes of rose, lychee, rosemary, mature wood, and sandalwood. The finish is described as gentle and lingering, with a hint of Mizunara, the Japanese oak prized for its distinctive influence on whisky during maturation.
The 2026 limited edition retains the familiar 24-faceted Hibiki bottle, whose design represents Japan’s traditional 24 micro-seasons. Chiso has reinterpreted the bottle with colourful floral motifs drawn from Japanese symbolism.
Tachibana, an evergreen citrus, represents enduring prosperity, while kiri, or paulownia, is associated with good fortune and nobility. Sakura cherry blossoms evoke renewal and the changing seasons, while ume plum blossoms and tsubaki camellias symbolize longevity and vitality. Gold, crimson, emerald, indigo, and blush tones bring the design together.
Founded in Kyoto in 1555, Chiso is renowned for its mastery of Kyo-Yuzen, a traditional silk-dyeing technique used to create richly detailed kimono designs. The house continues to preserve the craft while adapting it through contemporary artistic collaborations.
The partnership follows earlier Hibiki projects involving Japanese artists Eriko Horiki and Hiroshi Senju. It also forms part of a wider effort by the House of Suntory to connect its whisky-making heritage with other expressions of Japanese craftsmanship.
The limited edition is available in Malaysia through Cellar 18 stores, with a recommended retail price of RM728 per bottle. For those who prefer to explore the whisky before committing to a bottle, Barkar KL is also offering a dedicated menu of serves and cocktails, along with a bottle option of the regular edition of Hibiki Japanese Harmony.
For whisky enthusiasts, the Chiso collaboration offers an opportunity to appreciate Hibiki through both its blend and its presentation. The bottle is designed to be collectible, but its foundation remains the blending expertise that has helped establish Suntory as one of the leading names in Japanese whisky.
Enjoy the unveiling in the video below:
