The Story
Early 90s bottling. 700ml. Lion's Crest. Hibiki — a vintage early-1990s bottling of Hibiki in the Lion's Crest presentation format, over 30 years from original production and from an era when Japanese blended whisky was produced primarily for domestic consumption rather than the global collector demand that defines the current market.
Hibiki is Suntory's flagship blended Japanese whisky, created in 1989 to celebrate the company's 90th anniversary. The early 1990s bottlings represent the program's founding era — before the global whisky boom, before the stock shortages of the 2010s, and before Japanese whisky became one of the most sought-after categories in the world. The Lion's Crest designation identifies a specific presentation format within Hibiki's early bottling history.
The pre-shortage era character of early Hibiki is distinct from current expressions — the 1990s bottlings drew on aged stock from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries without the inventory constraints that later production would face. This is vintage Japanese whisky in the most literal sense.
Specs
- Producer: Suntory, Japan
- Style: Japanese Blended Whisky
- Expression: Hibiki — Lion's Crest
- Bottled: Early 1990s
- Size: 700ml
Browse all Japanese whisky at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Lion's Crest designation? A specific presentation format from Hibiki's early bottling history, identifying this as a particular packaging tier from the program's founding era in the early 1990s.
- Why is early 90s Hibiki significant? Pre-shortage era Japanese whisky drawn on stock from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita before global demand depleted aged inventory. These early bottlings represent a different production reality from current expressions.
Description
Early 90s bottling. 700ml. Lion's Crest. Hibiki — a vintage early-1990s bottling of Hibiki in the Lion's Crest presentation format, over 30 years from original production and from an era when Japanese blended whisky was produced primarily for domestic consumption rather than the global collector demand that defines the current market.
Hibiki is Suntory's flagship blended Japanese whisky, created in 1989 to celebrate the company's 90th anniversary. The early 1990s bottlings represent the program's founding era — before the global whisky boom, before the stock shortages of the 2010s, and before Japanese whisky became one of the most sought-after categories in the world. The Lion's Crest designation identifies a specific presentation format within Hibiki's early bottling history.
The pre-shortage era character of early Hibiki is distinct from current expressions — the 1990s bottlings drew on aged stock from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries without the inventory constraints that later production would face. This is vintage Japanese whisky in the most literal sense.
Specs
- Producer: Suntory, Japan
- Style: Japanese Blended Whisky
- Expression: Hibiki — Lion's Crest
- Bottled: Early 1990s
- Size: 700ml
Browse all Japanese whisky at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Lion's Crest designation? A specific presentation format from Hibiki's early bottling history, identifying this as a particular packaging tier from the program's founding era in the early 1990s.
- Why is early 90s Hibiki significant? Pre-shortage era Japanese whisky drawn on stock from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita before global demand depleted aged inventory. These early bottlings represent a different production reality from current expressions.
