March 9, 2015

HP Odin and consorts

Today we’ll have the much talked about Odin, and then a careful selection of emblematic HPs, some pretty recent. Now, novelties remain novelties for around 7 days, 4 hours and 32 minutes these days, and then they’re already old news. In short, the past.

Highland Park 16 yo 'Odin' (55.8%, OB, Valhalla Collection, 17000 bottles, 2015)

From a combination of firstfill sherry casks and refill hogsheads. As usual, all this Norse paraphernalia tends to leave us Latins rather cold, but after all, it’s the content that counts. I mean, the bottle's content, not the marketing content. Colour: deep gold. Nose: the sherry feels, and comes with some raisins soaked in kirsch as well as touches of gunpowder and nutmeg. Then we find more eau-de-vie-soaked cake (fruitcake with dates and figs), charcoal, burning pipe, struck matches and strong mead, with a fermentary side. It’s a little rough, perhaps, and may lack a bit of the luscious complexity of older sherried Highland Parks. With water: some kind of smoked stout, smoky mustard, walnuts… A wee feintiness, perhaps, but after tne minutes, more biscuits do emerge and it rather gets rounder. Mouth (neat): rather hot and spicy. Cumin, pepper, bitter oranges, raisins, slivovitz, ginger. Rather gritty, with a slightly acrid smokiness. With water: the spices keep singing (nutmeg, caraway, ginger) and suggest some active oak’s been used. Smoky walnuts and more bitter oranges. Ginger liqueur. Finish: rather long, peppery, slightly salty/smoky. Bitter oranges again in the aftertaste. Comments: very fine, rather powerful, but not very ‘polished’. The oak’s spices are a tad loud for my taste. Was that Odin’s personality? SGP:462 - 86 points.

Highland Park 14 yo 1999/2014 (52.1%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange, bourbon, cask #800172, 227)

The price is a little more than 1/3 of that of Odin, but the packaging isn’t as fancy, is it. I know, I know. Colour: straw. Nose: this one’s fully natural, that is to say very mildly smoky but quite mineral, with oils, then grass and apple peelings, then this coastal je-ne-sais-quoi that’s very Highland Park, then ripe apples and unrefined sugar. In a way, this is the antithesis of Odin. With water: coal smoke, grass, a little porridge, ashes, lemony barley sugar. Mouth (neat): it’s an old-Highlands kind of HP, smoky (much smokier than the nose suggested), peppery, very mineral, with some linseed oil as well, green apples, some salt for sure – I mean, a saltiness – and then wax and lemons that make it more Clynelishian. With water: perfect old-Highlands style, self-restrained, elegant, mineral, smoky, kind of engine-y, salty… Finish: quite long, with this mild grassy bitterness that works so well in a finish. Comments: I really prefer this cleaner, more natural style. That’s me. SGP:452 - 88 points.

But back to sherry…

Highland Park 22 yo 1992/2014 (59.6%, Cadenhead, Sherry Cask, 234 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: hold on, Cadenhead, there’s a typo, this must have been a rum cask! And a ‘heavy’ one, Trinidad or Jamaica or something, because I find these olivy dried fruits and these orangey bananas… or something. And earth, tobacco, wee whiffs of cow stable, fermenting oranges, almond oils, walnuts, mustard… Now maybe was it some sherry wood-matured rum? Forgot to tell you, I love this nose. With water: clean earth and leather, if you see what I mean. Mouth (neat): a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Green lemons, yellow tobacco, pink olives, blue peat and strong agaves (rather than sugar cane). I may have muddled up my adjectives, apologies. With water: maybe was it a sherry cask indeed. Tart oranges, salt, a touch of antiseptic and always quite some tobacco. Finish: long, on the same notes plus an earthy/leathery side. Fresh limoncello in the aftertaste. Comments: how embarrassing, Cadenhead did it again. To be very honest, the last thing I want is to sound as if I was biased toward those good people, and I’ve even considered not reviewing the new ones for a while, but that would be just… stupid. And rather masochistic. Between us, the best thing that happened to Scotch malt whisky in the last two years was Cadenhead’s incredible revival. Not that they were down, of course, not at all, but there… Loud (albeit uncomfortable) applause! SGP:552 - 91 points.

Could some older official compete? Let’s see…

Highland Park 30 yo (48.1%, OB, +/-2014)

It is the current ‘regular’ 30 years old, bottled at reduced strength since quite some years. What, 2007 or something? We’ve tried earlier batches many times and always liked it a lot, so… let’s see. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: yes. Kills Odin and all the gods, semi-gods and quarter-gods that they have up there at our great friends’ in Scandinavia. This is much more complex, ‘traditionally’ HP (heather honey and stuff), orange-y, brioche-y, fudge-y, perfume-y (that’ll do, S.)… And I simply love these notes of ‘a new pack of Camels’, even if I haven’t smoked any since ages. But I remember them well, I believe Camel was the first, and later on the very last pack of cigarettes I’ve bought. But we’re digressing, aren’t we. Mouth: oh sweet Vishnu, this is perfect. It’s got the bite, the coastalness, the peppery smoke of any true HP, and then the rounder, aromatic, glazed-chestnut-like notes that complement the saps and honeys that are so emblematic of HP in my own little book. And this lovely old rancio from the sherry casks. Perfect. Finish: long, both lively and rounded, with a perfect complexity. Does ‘the peacock’s tail’. Great smoke and saltiness in the aftertaste. Comments: this, is luxury whisky, and it is understandable that this kind of bottle wouldn’t be priced like any junky modern wood-and-wine-driven-hidden-age composition. Expensive, but I’m afraid it’s worth its price. SGP:552 - 91 points.

Why not have a last one? Just for fun, but we’ll try to ‘climb over’ both the 22 CAD and the 30 OB…. Let’s try (please fasten your belts)…

Highland Park 35 yo 1973/2009 (56.3%, OB, Velier, Italy, cask #13352)

We’ve already tried a few stunning 1973s. Binny’s, anyone? (WF 94). Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s not one of these old-style sherried one, or maybe are we experiencing the wonders of some perfect refill cask. It is entrancing whisky. The complexity is amazing. The beehivy/waxy/honeyed fruitiness is flabbergasting. The floral side is ensouling. And I’m in awe. This is why Scotch malt is a superior spirit that (can) beat them all. Also love the minerality, the salinity and the earthiness. It’s meta-whisky. With water: minerals, pu-erh tea, earthy tobacco, old leather, rubbed orange skin. Mouth (neat): it’s quite brutal, it’s got earth, roots and saps, it’s slightly resinous… And it’s stunning. Have you ever tried the legendary 1962 ‘John Goodwin’? This is rather similar as far as profiles are concerned, only more brutal, potent and mineral. In short, this is fruity cough syrup at very high strength. With water: citrons, eucalyptus, cough syrup, a touch of olivy brine and… please call the anti-maltoporn brigade! Finish: long, citrusy, mineral and even saltier than before. Shouts ‘coastal Highlands forever!’ Smokier aftertaste. Quite some lemongrass too. Comments: forgot to tell you that the mouthfeel was fat and oily, almost like oily honey, and yet the freshness was incredible. Other than that, some perfect sherry casks may have been even ‘higher’ in the past, but this pretty naked style is/was simply masterly. Luca, belated congrats. SGP:562 - 93 points.

That’s it folks. (with thanks to Marlene)

Check the index of all Highland Park I've tasted so far