The Hibiki 12 Blended Whisky (50 ml airline bottle)

Tasting notes: 
     The first thing that strikes this reviewer is that this dram has great gams, much like an anime version of red-headed toon-bomb Jessica Rabbit! “I’m not bad. I’m just distilled this way.” Hai!  The second thing to strike this reviewer is Jessica Rabbit. [ba dump bump…chish]
     It is tempting, and completely wrongheaded, to attribute the legs to some sort of a molecular memory of the exquisitely fluted nip.  I counted 24 scalloped facets to the bottle, and an indeterminate number of legs.  Moving up the generous body to the nose, it’s an atomizer filled with pheromones, the distillate of cherry blossoms, and the diaphonous play of light of the setting sun glinting off of a pair of twittering dragonflies’ wings.
     Very light in the mouth, delicate and lovely like the ritualized movements of a geisha pouring tea for a group of Malt Impostors.  An undertone of something less feminine—perhaps the geisha is carrying a sandalwood dagger inlaid with nacre, ivory, and abalone shell in her obi? On the back end, candied mandarin orange slices and a dab of men’s cologne behind her ears. She’s…Jesse Rabbit?!?
     The finish goes on and on, like thick honey and fruit pouring slowly out of a cornucopia, or perhaps shincha being poured slowly, slowly, slowly from a ceramic Tokoname teapot. By anime geisha Jessica Rabbit.

Our thanks to Yoshihiro Morita and the good people at Suntory for the samples!