August 20, 2015

Highland Park,
another freewheeling session

Well, we’ll just have a few, new or old. We’ll see what we can find in WF’s ‘old sample library’… By the way, aren’t we seeing a little less independent Highland Parks these days?

Highland Park 'Drakkar' (40%, OB, travel retail, +/-2014)

Yet another NAS ‘Norse’ HP, this baby first was a travel retail exclusive when it came out, but it seems that it’s become more widely available. We’ve seen that happening elsewhere, haven’t we. Colour: gold. Nose: mellow and rather earthy and leathery at first nosing, with quite some overripe apples as well as shoe polish, which, in my book, is always nice. A little liquorice as well, vanilla, a bit of burnt caramel and roasted raisins, then gingerbread and marmalade. I’m quite fond of this nose, I have to say, it’s got something of the older HP 12s (silkscreened bottles and such). Mouth: of course the low strength is a millstone around this baby’s neck, but both texture and profile are most pleasant, with smoked herbs, green tea, plenty of honeydew, this leathery side again, then a briny smoke that’s rather ‘Islay’. Moderately smoky Islay of course. Anyway, a nice HP in my opinion. Finish: not too short, and rather salty and smoky again. Only the aftertaste is a notch too leathery and bitter. Comments: a good surprise, it seems that the travellers are not always only getting the NAS chaff ;-). Lost points though, because of the bitterish aftertaste. SGP:462 - 84 points.

Highland Park 19 yo 1995/2014 (54.2%, Jack Wiebers, Scottish Malts Steamship Line, hogshead, cask #1508, 156 bottles)

Jack Wiebers like old means of transport and nice paintings or etchings! After the old trains and the ocean liners, here come the steamships. Colour: straw. Nose: a little coarse – or say ‘artisan’, rather pungent, very grassy and very mineral, with in the background, something medicinal (aspirin tablets? Quinine?) and quite some rubbed citron skin. Or lemon oil. It’s an austere one, but I do enjoy this sharp greenness ala Sancerre blanc. With water: chalk and wet fabric all over the place. The chalk is wet as well. Mouth (neat): what an excellent distillate. Superb fresh lemons and limes, always with this grassy minerality (or is it the other way ’round?) and a perfect mouth feel. Even more Sancerre-y, just rather more medicinal than Sancerres. Tart cough syrup. With water: and now it’s even got something Laphroaiggy. Must be the medicinal side. Finish: long, very clean and blade-y. More chalk and more lemons, plus some raw barley (crunched while visiting a malting plant). Comments: not all ‘naked’ HPs are great in my experience, but many are. It’s a big distillate. SGP:462 - 88 points.

Highland Park 1988/2010 (54.6%, Càrn Môr, Celebration of the Cask, hogshead, cask #878, 263 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: same style as the Jack at first sniffing, just tends to become rounder, with more vanilla and honey. So globally gentler, perhaps a notch more complex (I get various oils), and a tad less smoky. But other than that, they’re close. With water: gets rather very paraffiny. Mouth (neat): even closer, it’s tartier, zestier, more austere and sharper than on the nose. Very grassy and flinty, in fact, and perhaps a tad difficult. With water: hard. Clay and strong green tea, plus lemon squash. Good, it’s not exactly hard, but it’s a little difficult. Finish: long, with a feeling of chewing raw wool and licking limestone. Comments: I think a 1988 Càrn Môr that was a sherry monster (cask #3214) had been much more pleasant. But as always, only my opinion. SGP362 - 78 points.

Highland Park 27 yo 1988/2015 (53.3%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, Claret, 234 bottles)

This strange baby had been first kept for twenty years in a regular cask, and then the owners of W.M. Cadenhead bought a château cask of Lafite, drank it all, and poured this HP into the empty barrique in 2008 where it’s been further sleeping ever since. Okay, I made up the part about Lafite. Colour: gold-not-pink. Nose: it’s often been said that French oak (quercus robur) was much spicier than American oak, and this is a good example, since I rather get green pepper (or is that the Cabernet?) plus soft curry and kumquats. I have to add that there are also medicinal, mineral and grassy touches, so we’re still quite far from the OBs’ style. Also bitter oranges, but no small red berries from red wine that I can smell. With water: HP’s chalky side comes out again. Fabric, grass, leaves, porridge… Mouth (neat): interesting, and not bad at all. Oranges again, maybe a wee touch of blackcurrant – but really not much – and again, some sweet spicy sauces and cakes. Pickled ginger, perhaps, cardamom for sure, peppery oak as well… The oranges keep it fresh and pretty fruity, which is just as well. With water: swims very well on your palate. More oranges, soft spices, perhaps a tiny spoon of strawberry jam… Perhaps! Finish: good length, rather mellow, less spicy than expected. More oranges. Comments: fine fine fine, and certainly not a winesky, but remember this is double maturation, not quick flavouri… I mean, finishing. SGP:551 - 86 points.

What else have we got?...

Highland Park 25 yo 1985/2010 (52.2%, The Stillman's, Switzerland, bourbon hogshead, 270 bottles)

Picture doesn’t match but the label’s the same. Colour: gold. Nose: balance! Oranges on the one side, smoky rocks and grasses on the other side, and in the middle, honey, vanilla, and above all, mangos. Mangos, hurray! With water: even more ‘more’. Fabulous notes of artisan ‘tropical’ muesli, and plenty of fresh fruits that do really hint at, say, a blend made with 1/3 Lochside 1966, 1/3 Benriach 1976, and 1/3 Littlemill 1990. I may have got the proportions wrong, but you got the spirit. Mouth (neat): exceptional. Passion fruits, mangos, lemons, oranges, fresh mint, orange blossom water (right, rather pastries made thereof). Would you need more? Superb! With water: as I sometimes write, this is a sin. Multivitamin fruit juice, a little custard, some pineapple (not too much, just the right amount), and blood oranges. Perfect mouth feel. Finish: perhaps not the longest ever, but the fruitiness is amazing. Extraordinary balance, with a trie feeling of ‘a whole’. Comments: I’m el stupido, I should have tasted this a long time ago, I would have bought quite a few bottles. Really beautiful fruity Highland Park. SGP:651 - 90 points.

I remember the Whisky Agency had a few superb 1985s s well. Oh by the way…

Highland Park 33 yo 1977/2010 (52.3%, The Whisky Agency, The Perfect Dram, bourbon hogshead, 193 bottles)

Once again, why I’ve never tried this one, I don’t know. My system must be leaking somewhere… Colour: gold. Nose: that was to be expected, and maybe that’s why I haven’t tried this baby before – unconsciously, of course. It’s absolutely lovely. Eucalyptus and grapefruits, coal smoke and beeswax, honey and green bananas, leather polish and not-too-ripe guavas… Everything’s just absolutely perfect. With water: patchouli, old leather (old horse saddle), dried flowers… In short, old aromas that are slowly disappearing from any ‘modern’ vanilla-ridden Scotch. Mouth (neat): massive, yet supremely elegant. Punches you a bit while it arrives, with rocky flavours and quite some green cardamom and green lemon, but this fat-yet-elegant grassiness just works. I used to call this style ‘cactussy’. It’s rather less fruity and easy than the Swiss 1985, but this austere assertiveness (what?) just clicks. With water: milder and more honeyed. Baklavas and citron liqueur. Finish: medium, fruitier, citrusy, elegant. Leaves your mouth fresh. Comments: Calvin after Luther (that as some silly comments, S.!) SGP:561 - 91 points.

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

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback

Highland Park, another freewheeling session

Highland Park,
another freewheeling session