Bottling Dates for Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu

Part 3

Previously in Part 1 and Part 2, bottle codes and packaging changes offered clues as to when a particular Yamazaki, Hibiki, or Hakushu was bottled.  Bottle codes were great, but they only went back to 2006.  For older bottles, packaging variances narrowed down the bottling date a bit, but there could still be a wide range in some cases.  So, how to pare it down further?

Glass Date

Old Forester
AB 217470
86 Proof

Bottom Glass of Old Forester
Top Row = L-1014
Bottom Row = S Φ 88

What about investigating the raised lettering on the bottom of the bottles?  That's a proven method for approximating the bottling dates for older bourbons.  I have a dusty Old Forester that has “88” among other information on the bottom of the glass.  Often, this translates into the bottle mold being made in 1988, but not necessarily the year it was filled with spirit.  However… it’s usually pretty close to that year.  Definitely not 1987 or prior, the OF could possibly be from 1988 or 1989.  You would then have to review the labels for corroborating evidence that would place it around that time.

Unfortunately, on Yamazaki/Hibiki/Hakushu bottles, there are no consistent two digit numbers  similar to the bourbon example above.  What can be found, and this goes back to the 1980s at least, are words, letters, and numbers.  So, let’s explore that.

The words will spell out SUNTORY (LTD) and JAPAN, and, depending on the expression, LIQUOR BOTTLE. (U.S. Hibiki bottles will most likely have 750ML on the bottom glass as well.)  Pretty straight forward – no insight here.

2018 Hakushu 12
First Time Released
With Box in U.S.

Two “rows” of alphanumeric code are present.  The top row format consists of a
one or two-digit number, followed by some blank space, followed by a single letter or a letter plus an additional letter/number. A few examples of top row strings are “4     YS”, “11     T3”, and “2     Y”.  The second set of characters must point to bottle type as YS can be found on the latest U.S. Hakushu 12s, while T3 shows up on various Hibiki bottles. The preceding number(s) can’t have anything to do with the bottling date, however, as they will vary on bottles that are definitely from the same year.  One of the recent Hakushu 12s has top row of  “4     YS” while another one has “14     YS”.

Bottom of 2018 Hakushu 12
Top Row = 4   YS
Bottom Row = 7 - III

So, what about the second row?  The format is always a single digit number, usually followed by a dash, then followed by one to four vertical lines.  Staying with the aforementioned 2018 Hakushu 12s, the bottom string on all of them is “7 – III”.  Now that's interesting!

Let’s investigate some other bottles and that bottom row, starting with expressions that have already established bottling dates via the label, regardless of the bottle code.  Yamazaki put out an annual Limited Edition release between 2014-2017. The bottom string on my 2017 bottling is “6 – IIII”.  The bottom row of Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel 2013 reads “3 – III”.

Transferring this and other available data to the table below, can you recognize a pattern emerging?

EXPRESSION	GLASS BOTTOM ROW	BOTTLING CODE	BOTTLING YEAR
Hakushu 12	7 - III	LK8ANN	2018
Hakushu 12	7 - III	LK8AMC	2018
Yamazaki LE 2017	6 - IIII	LX7DOK	2017
Yamazaki 18	3 - IIII	W4EJE	2014
Yamazaki 18	3 - IIII	S3LJW	2013
Yamazaki Bourbon 2013	3 - III	X3OJJ	2013
Hibiki 12	2 - II	U2LOT	2012
Hakushu 1994	6 - III	D6JOA	2006

In Part 1, the Bottling Code pattern revealed that the single digit before the 3 letters at the end (or the middle in some cases) represents the last digit in the bottling year.  On the bottom row of the glass, the single digit on the left either matches that "key number" on the bottling code or equals the key number minus one.  Every time.  I've looked at over a hundred bottles with bottling codes and this pattern is consistent.  If you've got one that doesn't conform, I'd like to see it!

Now let's apply the single digit theory to the glass.  It seems a reasonable conclusion that the "key number" on the left of the bottom row on the glass is the last digit of the year in which the bottle was manufactured.  And I believe it is fair to then assume that the bottle was either filled that same year or the following year.   And that's it, mystery solved!

The next step is to review some data from pre-2006 bottles, swapping out Bottling Code for significant markers from the label or bottle that support the bottling year estimation.

EXPRESSION	GLASS BOTTOM ROW	MARKER	BOTTLING YEAR
Hibiki 17	2 - IIII	Hibiki Crest	2002/2003
Yamazaki 12	1 - II	Pure Malt	2001/2002*
Hibiki (Original)	8 - IIII	Hibiki Crest	1998/1999
Hakushu 12	7 - IIII	Pure Malt	1997/1998
Hibiki (Original)	7 - I	Hibiki Crest	1997/1998
Yamazaki 10	6 - II	Pure Malt	1996/1997
Hibiki (Original)	5 - III	Gold Stopper	1995/1996
Yamazaki 18	5 - III	Pure Malt	1995/1996

1995 Yamazaki 18
Bottom Row 5 - II

The Hibiki 17 is from 2002/2003 and not 2012/2013 because it has a Hibiki Crest on the label. And we've established that Hibiki 17 did not appear until 2001, so it's not from 1992/93.  But it's not always so cut and dry.  Any Yamazaki 12 with a 1, 2, or 3 key number on the glass can be problematic.  Both 1991, 1992, 1993 and 2001, 2002, 2003 bottlings would have both the Hibiki Crest and Pure Malt designation.  Yamazaki 18s would have a similar challenge for those year ranges as well if not for the bottles being numbered in Japan during that span.  Lower numbered labels would be the early 1990s.  So, deeper diving into label variation is necessary for those cases, but for the most part, the code has been cracked!

Don't want to dive into too much minutiae - the important thing is that you should now be able to answer the question posed in Part 1 and approximate the bottling date of that original Hibiki NAS that you've been wondering about!  Does your bottle have a key number of "0" on the bottom glass and does it have the Lion Crest?  Then you've got a 1990/91 bottling.  If it has the same key number but a Hibiki Crest instead, then you're looking at a 2000/01 bottling.