The old Hibiki bottle. The difference between the gold cap 17 years old and the early bottle with the gold label on the back

Suntory Hibiki is known worldwide as the pinnacle of blended whiskey. In addition to standard bottles such as Japanese Harmony and Blender's Choice, did you know that there are rare bottles such as "Hibiki 17 Years Old" and "Hibiki 12 Years Old"?
Hibiki has a long history, and there are many rare items with old bottles and old labels. Some of these items are almost impossible to get hold of these days, and they are a hot topic among whiskey fans.
In this article, we will explain about Hibiki's old labels and old bottles . We will also explain the characteristics of bottles from each era, how to tell them apart, and market prices, so please read for reference.

The history of Suntory Hibiki! Discontinued products and old labels exist!?

What kind of whiskey is Suntory Hibiki?

Hibiki is one of Suntory's whiskey brands, which also boasts popular brands such as Yamazaki and Hakushu. It was launched in 1989 as the "pinnacle of blended whiskey." 1989 was the 90th anniversary of Suntory's founding. Hibiki was created to commemorate the 90th anniversary, and the brand has continued to this day.
Yamazaki and Hakushu are single malt whiskies made using only raw liquor from a single distillery. Hibiki, on the other hand, is a blended whisky that combines malt from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, as well as Chita grain. It is said to be the best among blended whiskies because it is made using the blending techniques of professionals known as masters, resulting in the highest level of whisky. For example, Hibiki's raw liquor is blended with the extremely rare Mizunara malt owned by Suntory .
Hibiki is a brand that meets the standards of Japanese whiskey and is now famous and highly valued worldwide.

The main history of Suntory Hibiki's standard lineup

Years	Events
1989	"Hibiki 17 Year Old" is born ... 90th anniversary product
1994	The birth of "Hibiki 21 Year Old"
1997	The birth of "Hibiki 30 Years"
2009	The birth of "Hibiki 12 Year Old"
2015	February: Sales of "Hibiki 12 Years" are discontinued. March: "Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY" is born... the first non-aged product.
July 2018	July: Shipment of "Hibiki 17 Year" ends, sales will be suspended from September September: "Hibiki BLENDER'S CHOICE" is born... released as a premium non-aged product

When Suntory Hibiki was first released, the first product to be released was "Hibiki 17 Years Old." At the time, the product met the standards for a 17-year-old whisky, but it was released with the label "Suntory Whisky Hibiki" without the 17-year-old label.
From then on, new Hibiki products were introduced, with bottles such as "Hibiki 21 Year Old" released in 1994, "Hibiki 30 Year Old" in 1997, and "Hibiki 12 Year Old" in 2009. In other words, Hibiki has been on the market for over 30 years, with new varieties gradually increasing in number.
Suntory's Hibiki, which boasts a history of over 30 years, is characterized by changing bottle designs and types of whiskey available to suit the times. It is precisely because of its long history that there are products called "discontinued products" and "old labels" that are no longer on sale. For example, "Hibiki 12 Years Old" is already out of stock. "Hibiki 17 Years Old" has also been out of stock for some time, making it difficult to obtain.
Even among the products in the current lineup, such as "Hibiki 30 Year Old," there are products with different label and bottle designs from different eras. These discontinued products and products with old labels are highly valued on the market due to their rarity .
In addition to the lineup shown above, Hibiki also regularly releases limited edition products. The current standard lineup includes "Hibiki JAPANESE HARMONY," "Hibiki BLENDER'S CHHOICE," "Hibiki 21 Year Old," and "Hibiki 30 Year Old," but there are many other bottles available, so be sure to check them out.

Why is Hibiki with the old label and bottle so popular?

The old labels and bottles of Hibiki are currently highly valued. This is because, as mentioned earlier, they are no longer on sale and are therefore extremely rare. They are being purchased by people who originally loved the taste of Hibiki, as well as by collectors and those who are buying them for purposes other than drinking, such as investment or resale .
Furthermore, the Hibiki bottles with old labels have a different composition of raw liquor than the current Hibiki. Bottles from the era before the Liquor Tax Act and the definition of Japanese whiskey were established often contain old raw liquor even if they do not state the age, or contain a generous amount of extremely rare raw liquor that is said to be difficult to obtain today .
Of course, the current Hibiki is of excellent quality, but it is also true that older Hibikis have a unique flavor that only older Hibikis can produce. It can be said that this charm is what is driving the Hibiki's prices up.

Characteristics and sales period of popular Hibiki Whisky old label products

[Around 1989-1994] Hibiki Non-Aged Gold Cap, Gold Label on the Back

I came across this rare Hibiki by chance. It has a gold cap and a gold label on the back, so it's probably from around 1990. pic.twitter.com/tE3Z2IpcsH

— Basking Shark (@oMgZ2ffJmzZkh1H) January 8, 2022

When Hibiki was released, it was sold in "Suntory Whisky Hibiki" bottles with no age indication. Even though it is a non-aged product, it is said to have been made from raw liquor equivalent to 17 years old , which shows its high quality.
The non-age Hibiki had a gold label on the back and a gold bottle cap . It looks gorgeous, so it's very popular among collectors. The current price depends on the condition, but a used one is about 80,000 yen .
The volume of non-aged gold-capped Hibiki has varied over time. When it was first released in 1989 to 1991, it was sold in 750ml bottles, and from 1991 to 1994 it was sold in 700ml bottles. When trying to distinguish between old non-aged bottles, be sure to pay attention to the volume .

[1994-2001] Hibiki Non-Aged Crystal Cap, Gold Label on the Back

The era of Hibiki's non-aged label continued until 2001. In 1994, the cap changed from gold to a crystal cap. This is also labeled as non-aged, but it is treated like the old bottle of Hibiki 17 Year Old , not the old bottle of the current Japanese Harmony.
Be careful, as old non-aged bottles that do not have the Japanese Harmony or Blender's Choice label are priced much higher than the current products. Don't just judge it by the fact that it's a "Hibiki non-aged product," but also pay attention to the label and cap design. By the way, crystal cap bottles from the non-aged era are priced at around 70,000 yen .

I wonder if it was really a good idea to get a bottle of Hibiki 17-year-old sake. It looks so good! pic.twitter.com/wRzv5oPgez

— y (@world_yky) May 19, 2019

Among the old Hibiki bottles, there are some that have gold labels on both the front and back. These are special labels that were once released as gifts .

[2001-2007] Hibiki 17 Year Old Gold Label on the Back

The old bottle of Hibiki 17 years. 180 yen for 2500 yen. It's still available at my local liquor store, so I'll keep it.
Although it is a blended beer, the rich flavor reminds us of the old days. pic.twitter.com/jKXgRJpLZQ

— Purupuru Water Foundation (@ainoko777) July 23, 2017

From 2001, Hibiki changed from non-aged to "Hibiki 17 Year Old". This era was characterized by a gold label on the back , and the front label had a mark called Digital Hibiki. It is highly sought after as an "old label/old bottle" that is particularly rare among Hibiki 17 Year Olds.
Hibiki with a gold label on the back is often called the "Ura Gold Label" and is one way to tell old bottles apart, so keep that in mind. Prices vary depending on the bottle, but there are cases where second-hand products are priced at just under 100,000 yen.
Furthermore, the era of Hibiki 17 Year Old Gold Label on the Back, i.e. the old bottle, can be further divided into early, middle and late periods. Whether the address is written on the bottleneck or whether there is a string attached to the bottle can also be used to determine the era.

• 2001-2002: Address and capacity are written on the bottle neck, and there is also a string.
• 2003-2005: Address and capacity are written on the bottle neck, but there is no string.
• 2005-2007: No address or capacity indicated on the bottleneck

[2007-2010] Hibiki 17 years old without emblem

Since 2007, the digital Hibiki mark on the front label has disappeared. However, unlike recent bottles, it is written "SUNTORY WHISKY HIBIKI". The back label remains gold, and this old label product is also highly valued as it was only sold for a short period of time.

[2010-2018] Hibiki 17 Year Old HIBIKI Label

Who would have thought we'd be able to drink Hibiki 17 years old in Nagoya! pic.twitter.com/i4HfQd7PsC

— homu (@homu0520) February 24, 2023

Between 2010 and 2018, when it was discontinued, the design changed to emphasize the "HIBIKI" logo on the front. It is thought that this was an attempt to promote the brand name to overseas markets . Also, from this period, the back label is no longer gold. As this is the most widely distributed Hibiki 17 Year Old on the market, it is relatively easy to obtain .
However, it has been out of production since 2018, and there are currently no plans to re-release it. It is priced at 70,000 yen per bottle on online shops, which is about the same value as the so-called old label Hibiki 17 Year Old.

[2009-2010] Hibiki 12 Year Old Label

Hibiki 12 Year Old, which was released between 2009 and 2015, also comes in both old and new label versions. The main characteristics of the bottle, 700ml and 43% alcohol content, remain the same, but the label design itself is different, so keep that in mind.
The old label Hibiki 12 Year Old is easily recognizable with the large "HIBIKI" logo printed on it . Despite being 12 years old, it has a high market value, with second-hand bottles fetching over 50,000 yen.

[2010-2015] Hibiki 12 Year Old New Label

The new label for Hibiki 12 Year Old has a logo that is more consistent with other Hibiki bottles. There are no major changes to the contents, but the design has been changed to create a more consistent look when placed next to the 17 Year Old bottle.
This bottle was discontinued in 2015. Therefore, it has the same value as the old bottle and is traded at about 50,000 yen per bottle. Please note that the price will vary depending on the condition and whether or not it comes with a box. Also, unlike Hibiki 17, Hibiki 12 Year Old is discontinued rather than discontinued , so it is expected to become even more valuable in the future.

[1994-2007] Hibiki 21 Year Old Label

Hibiki 21 Year Old, which remains in the standard lineup, has undergone numerous changes, and there are products with old labels. If we break it down into smaller parts, there have been multiple changes, but the last major label change was in 2007 .
Bottles of Hibiki made before 2007 have a "Digital Hibiki" mark that can be used to distinguish old bottles. The Hibiki 21 Year Old mark is gold, making it easy to see and understand.
Also, in the case of old bottles, the character "Hibiki" is printed in large letters on the outer box. When you bring it in for a purchase appraisal, remember that the presence or absence of the outer box will have a big impact on the appraisal price .

[1997~] Hibiki 30 Year Old Gate Opening

We purchased a 30 year old Hibiki double door 🔥
Thank you 😊 https://t.co/2Uf6KOaRol #Alcohol #Purchase #Appraisal #Hibiki #Whiskey #Brandy #Champagne #Wine #Domestic Whiskey #Kanagawa #Yokohamapic.twitter.com /BB6uB4n2ve

— Alcohol and smartphone purchase🍷📱 Linksus (@liquor_linxas30) August 1, 2021

Only a few thousand bottles of Hibiki 30 Year Old are produced each year, making it extremely rare. Among these, the Hibiki 30 Year Old in a gold double door bottle is highly valued as an older bottle. It also features a logo and bottle film that are not found on the current product, making it extremely rare.
It is not uncommon for a single bottle of Hibiki 30 Year Old, known as a double door bottle, to fetch over 1 million yen. Anyone who has carefully stored an unopened bottle in its box is considered extremely lucky.

For purchasing old Hibiki bottles and old labels, please contact Linksus, the alcohol purchase specialist store.

There are many Hibiki bottles with old labels from different eras. The currently unreleased Hibiki 17 Year Old, Hibiki 12 Year Old, and Hibiki 30 Year Old double-open bottles are particularly highly valued. Naturally, they are highly valued in the liquor buying market, so if you have any unopened products, we recommend you have them appraised .
However, there are multiple types of Hibiki, and it is difficult for amateurs to tell them apart. The pricing is complicated, with bottles that appear to be non-aged being more expensive than the current aged bottles, and the price changing depending on the label color even for the same label.
Therefore, when you sell your liquor, we recommend that you ask a store that specializes in buying alcohol, rather than a recycle shop . A store that specializes in buying alcohol will be able to assess the subtle differences in the Hibiki and the condition of the liquor and give you a fair price in line with the market.
Linksus, a liquor purchase specialist store, is also currently strengthening the purchase of old Hibiki bottles and old labels . Please feel free to contact us if you are unsure about purchasing or if you would like to simply have an appraisal done.
In addition to old bottles and old labels, Linkus also buys current Hibiki and other whiskeys, as well as wine and brandy. We can also evaluate multiple brands at once, so please contact us first.
Buy whiskey here

summary

There are many rare bottles of Hibiki that are no longer available, mainly from the Hibiki 17 Year and Hibiki 12 Year series. The key points to distinguish them are the "gold cap" and "gold label on the back," so be sure to check them out.
Even though they are not old bottles, many of them are no longer on sale, and their market value seems to be increasing year by year. Hibiki is also popular in the buy-back market, so if you are interested or have one, be sure to check the price.