Hibiki has been Suntory’s blended range since 1989, built on malt from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and grain from Chita, and presented in a 24-facet decanter whose facets answer to the 24 sekki of the traditional calendar. This edition takes the 17-year expression and decorates that decanter, and its gold carton, with chrysanthemums and red-crowned cranes under the title Kacho Fugetsu. What gives the bottle its present standing is a separate event: in May 2018 Suntory confirmed that Hibiki 17 and Hakushu 12 would be withdrawn owing to supply constraints on aged whisky, with Hibiki 17 leaving the core range from that September. The company framed the withdrawal as temporary and apologised for it; the expression has not returned to the core lineup. Beyond that, this page stops: the edition’s release year, its size, and the technique behind the decoration are all reported inconsistently by sellers and by no producer source that survives checking.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

What does Kacho Fugetsu mean?

Kacho Fugetsu — written 花鳥風月 — reads literally as flower, bird, wind, moon. It is a classical Japanese phrase for the beauty of the natural world and for the contemplation of it, and it is the stated theme of this edition, whose decanter and carton carry chrysanthemums and red-crowned cranes.

Is Hibiki 17 still in production?

No. In May 2018 Suntory confirmed that Hibiki 17 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old would be withdrawn because demand had outrun the supply of aged whisky, with Hibiki 17 leaving the core range from that September. The company described the withdrawal as temporary and apologised for it, but the expression has not returned to the core lineup — so remaining bottles draw on a finite pool.

How many bottles of the Kacho Fugetsu edition were made, and when was it released?

Midnight Whiskey does not state either, because neither is verifiable. Sellers date the edition to 2015 and to 2016 — one listing gives both years in a single paragraph — and quote runs of 600 and of fewer than 1,000, with one source hedging its own figure as 'probably'. No producer record settles it. Rather than repeat the most common version, this page describes what can be established and says plainly what cannot.