Master's Select is a travel retail exclusive from Suntory and, despite the shared name, a genuinely different blend to the standard Hibiki Japanese Harmony. It draws on ten malt and grain whiskies from the Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries, matured across five cask types including American white oak ex-bourbon, sherry butts and prized Japanese Mizunara oak.
The nose is delicate and inviting, with citrus blossom, ripe mango and juicy raisin lifted by vanilla-rich oak. The palate is fuller than the aroma suggests: chocolate orange to begin, then creamy wood, dried apricot and sultana, with cinnamon warmth building through the middle.
It closes on plum and ginger with brown sugar and milk chocolate, long and beautifully composed. This is a whisky to drink neat or with a few drops of water, though it makes an exceptional highball with good soda over plenty of ice. The bottle carries twenty-four facets, one for each of the traditional Japanese micro-seasons.