Hibiki 21 — Suntory’s Symphony in a Glass
By Rafi Mercer
The room is low-lit, all walnut panelling and soft amber glow. A turntable ticks into motion, the first notes of a Bill Evans ballad unfolding like smoke. A bartender in crisp white shirt pulls a heavy glass from the chiller, drops in a block of ice, and with a slow rotation of wrist pours a measure of deep bronze liquid.
The sound it makes, not splash, but silk against crystal, is its own overture. This is Hibiki 21, and in the listening bar it doesn’t sit in the corner of the shelf; it defines the room.
Hibiki, meaning “resonance” in Japanese, is Suntory’s most poetic creation: a blended whisky that gathers together single malts from Yamazaki and Hakushu, grain whisky from Chita, and arranges them like a conductor balancing strings, brass, and woodwinds.
First released in 1989 to mark Suntory’s 90th anniversary, the Hibiki line was conceived not merely as a drink but as an expression of harmony, a word that is as architectural as it is musical, the more you give, the more there is to discover.
Hibiki 21, launched in the late 1980s but refined into cult status in the 21st century, represents the pinnacle of that philosophy.
On the nose, it begins with a sweep of dried plum and black cherry, edged with incense and sandalwood — the kind of aromatics that feel carved into wood rather than fleeting in air. Take a sip and the geometry expands: the first movement is rich Sherry cask sweetness, all dark fruit and spiced compote; the second is the lightness of Mizunara oak, lending a sandalwood dryness that pulls back the sweetness just when it threatens to overwhelm. The finish is endless: long, dry, slightly smoky, like the lingering echo of a cymbal crash.
In the context of a listening bar, Hibiki 21 is less about intoxication and more about tempo, a pace, a moment to belong.
One measure slows the room. It makes people lean in, breathe deeper, hear the air between notes. To pour it alongside vinyl is to allow whisky to become a kind of silent collaborator in the setlist.
I’ve seen it paired with Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, where its arcs of sweetness and austerity mirrored the record’s devotional pulse. I’ve also seen it transform a Tokyo night of ambient and electronic textures into something almost ceremonial.
It matters that Hibiki is a blend. In the same way a DJ in a listening bar selects across genres, Suntory’s master blenders select across malts and grains, casks and ages, to create balance. There’s a democratic beauty to that: no one voice dominates, and yet the sum is elevated into something greater. For a culture of listening that values both individual artistry and collective harmony, Hibiki is perhaps the perfect dram.
And Hibiki 21 is only the beginning. When we speak of whiskies for the listening-bar experience, we are curating not just drinks but moods, structures, atmospheres.
The thing is, like the Tracks & Tales Top 50 Albums, is wide, spanning continents, styles, and stories, so is the drink you savour.
Here, then, is the list in full, the bottles that define the soundtrack of global listening:
The Tracks & Tales Top 50 Whiskies for Listening Bars
Japan
Hibiki 21 — Suntory’s masterpiece blend: layers of fruit, incense, and Mizunara oak, endlessly long on the palate.
Hibiki Harmony — Accessible yet elegant, soft orchard fruit and honeyed balance, perfect for highballs.
Yamazaki 12 — Floral and fruity single malt, the gateway to Suntory’s house style.
Yamazaki 18 — Deep, sherried complexity, figs and dark chocolate, a contemplative dram.
Hakushu 12 — Green, herbal, lightly smoky — a mountain forest captured in glass.
Toki — Crisp, clean, highball-friendly whisky designed for easy drinking.
Nikka From the Barrel — Rich, punchy, full-bodied blend with spice and fruit.
Yoichi Single Malt — Coastal, smoky, with brine and bold malt backbone.
Miyagikyo Single Malt — Fruity and floral, with a gentle, silky sweetness.
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain (White Label) — Craft blend from Chichibu, playful and layered.
Mars Iwai Tradition — Smooth and approachable, notes of caramel and gentle smoke.
Kaiyō Mizunara — Aged in Mizunara oak at sea, exotic spices and sandalwood tones.
Scotland
Lagavulin 16 — Islay’s benchmark: peat smoke, iodine, and long maritime finish.
Ardbeg Uigeadail — Powerful, smoky, with sherry-cask richness beneath the peat.
Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength — Medicinal, smoky, intense, for lovers of raw Islay character.
Talisker 10 — Peppery, briny, with a smoky edge — the taste of sea spray.
Springbank 10 — Campbeltown classic, earthy, oily, with salty tang.
Highland Park 18 — Balanced between honey sweetness and heathery smoke.
GlenDronach 15 “Revival” — Rich sherry bomb, full of raisin, chocolate, and spice.
Aberlour A’Bunadh — Cask strength, sherried intensity, big and warming.
Macallan 18 Sherry Oak — Luxurious, refined, all dried fruit, vanilla, and oak polish.
Glenfarclas 25 — Old-school Speyside, elegant, nutty, and lingering.
Oban 14 — West Highland malt, maritime yet soft, a balance of fruit and smoke.
Glenmorangie Signet — Innovative, roasted chocolate malt, lush and modern.
Balvenie DoubleWood 12 — Classic Speyside, honey, vanilla, and gentle spice.
Glenfiddich 15 Solera — Smooth, layered, with honey and orchard fruits.
Bunnahabhain 12 — Unpeated Islay, nutty and maritime, soft and complex.
Caol Ila 12 — Clean Islay smoke, lemon zest, and salty finish.
Old Pulteney 12 — Briny Highland malt, crisp and coastal.
Benromach 10 — Speyside with a smoky twist, balanced by malt sweetness.
Ireland
Redbreast 12 — Benchmark pot still, full of fruitcake and spice.
Redbreast 15 — Deeper, darker, richer — Christmas pudding in a glass.
Green Spot — Fresh, vibrant, apple and pear-led single pot still.
Yellow Spot 12 — Richer and spicier sibling to Green Spot, with wine cask depth.
Teeling Single Malt — Dublin revival, tropical fruit and wine-cask influence.
Bushmills 16 — North Antrim classic, sherried richness and elegant finish.
USA
Buffalo Trace — Accessible bourbon, caramel and vanilla, everyday excellence.
Eagle Rare 10 — Smooth and balanced, dark fruit and oak.
Four Roses Single Barrel — Bold bourbon, floral, spicy, with great depth.
Elijah Craig Small Batch — Sweet oak, vanilla, toffee, quintessential Kentucky.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed — High-proof, robust, spicy, long-lasting flavour.
Maker’s Mark 46 — Soft wheat bourbon with French oak complexity.
Michter’s US*1 Rye — Spicy, rounded rye with elegance.
Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond — Bartender’s rye: bold, spicy, cocktail-ready.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked — Rich, sweet, double-barrel depth.
Mellow Corn Bottled-in-Bond — Quirky, corn-forward value dram with cult appeal.
World
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique (Taiwan) — Wine-cask aged, tropical fruit intensity.
Amrut Fusion (India) — Bold, smoky, chocolate-rich Indian malt.
Starward Nova (Australia) — Red wine cask, fruity and vibrant, Melbourne-made.
M&H Classic (Israel) — Young but elegant, citrus and vanilla brightness.
Each of these bottles will, in time, have its own story told here.
Each has a geometry that can be mapped onto a sound. Each represents a possible pairing of spirit and song.
Hibiki 21 remains our anchor — the gold-leaf opening page of this new atlas. To sip it is to understand what we mean when we talk about listening differently. Not just hearing sound, not just tasting whisky, but experiencing how both can shape the air, colour the room, and slow the rhythm of time.
Rafi Mercer writes about the spaces where music matters. For more stories from Tracks & Tales, subscribe, or click here to read more.
