February 29, 2016

Some Highland Park, old and new

For some reasons that I shall explain later, I needed to try Highland Park 12. And then, we’ll have other HPs, chosen more or less at random. New bottlings, older bottlings, we’ll see. Preferably newer ones, that would be more useful, but if you had the choice between test-driving a 1930 Bugatti and the brand new Golf Diesel, what would you do? But first things first…

Highland Park 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2015)

This is terrible, I just noticed that last time I ‘formally’ tasted the popular Highland Park 12, that was in… 2007! Almost tn years ago! Let’s rectify the situation… Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is well Highland Park, with whiffs of smoke, orange squash, burnt grasses, a touch of sea air, a few raisins, and the trademark heather honey. Well, we always say heather honey, but that could be other honeys. Globally, I find it rather more on oranges than the ‘usual’ HP. Didn’t it change a bit? Mouth: sure the strength is a bit low, but the spirit’s quite big, so all remains balanced and certainly not too weak. Other than that, I find our oranges again, this grassy smoke that’s so typical, and perhaps a touch of cardboard. And let’s not forget honey and raisins. I find it very fine. Finish: perhaps not the longest ever, and perhaps is it a bit drying, but it works. Quite malty. Comments: as always, there were rumours that this baby got ‘less good’ in recent years. I’m not sure I agree, this is very fine for the price, and at least it’s got an age statement! SGP:452 - 84 points.

Good, let’s unleash some random troops…

Highland Park 12 yo ‘Fascadale’ (46%, Adelphi, batch #5, 1483 bottles, +/-2013)

How do I know Fascadale is Highland Park? That’s easy, it’s written on the label ;-). Colour: straw. Nose: we’re extremely close to the official 12, surprisingly close. It’s a wee bit more powerful, and probably a little fresher and less honeyed, but other than that… Also a little more fresh malt, apples, earth… Let’s say the distillate’s a little more in the front. Mouth: same comments. Very same comments. Perhaps a little more citrus as well. Well after a few seconds it got rather more mineral and grassy, which often happens in indie HPs (while the officials are usually rounder). Finish: rather long, with more bitter notes. Chlorophyll. Comments: a bigger whisky, but also a more austere one. Same ballpark as far as personal (always personal!) scores are concerned. SGP:462 - 84 points.

Wait, since we’ve still got the new official 12 in a glass, why not try an earlier version?

Highland Park 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-1995)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: there are similarities and there are differences. What’s sure is that this one’s rather more rounded and complex, with some extra-dimension around flowers and herbs, that were almost absent in the new one. Such as eucalyptus, or lemongrass. The honeyed side is also rather more complex, and there’s some beeswax as well, as well as rather more earth than in the new. Oh well, it’s simply more complex, and possibly older ‘on average’. Some parsley and chicken bouillon coming out after ten minutes, that should be the sherry talking. Mouth: yeah well, the differences are even more striking on the palate. Fatter, oilier, waxier, both more mineral and more earthy, with more cough syrup, more honeydew… Now it’s not tremendously better, but better it certainly is. Finish: quite long, earthy, grassy, with a mildly honeyed signature. Comments: I was afraid this one would have won by a landslide, but the new one hasn’t been put to shame. Now, should we have chosen an old ‘silkscreened’ 12 instead, the outcome might have been different. 5 points or more! SGP:562 - 87 points.

Yet another 12 years old? Good idea…

The Old Man Of Hoy 12 yo (43%, Blackadder, Cask Ref # 2001/H05, 2001)

Yes this is HP. We had the C/S version in 2010, and thought it was very good (WF 87). Colour: gold. Nose: it’s firmer, wilder, and rougher. We all know that the differences between 40% and 43% vol. are huge, and this is another example. Marmalade, heather honey (right), leather, natural rubber, roasted pecans, raisins, old wine barrels, sea breeze, kelp, cigars… There’s a lot happening in this one! Also Vick’s, tiger balm… Mouth: purfekt. Wild again, rough again, salty, bitter (in a good way), honeyed, meaty, marmalade-y, with then honeys and assorted roasted nuts (that is to say honey-coated nuts), some liquorice… This is so very good, and already so antique, in a way! Where has this fat style gone? Finish: long, a tad more rustic, with a peppery earthiness that might not be to everyone’s tastes. That rubber again. Comments: these bottles used to be very cheap, almost ‘budget’. But they were great. SGP:462 - 87 points.

I agree, we’ve had enough 12s. So let’s try a… 8!

Highland Park 8 yo (70° proof, Gordon & MacPhail, licensed bottling, 75cl, +/-1975)

The high strength version of this just kills you. Instantly. Colour: gold. Nose: boy, it’s not that this one won’t kill you. Exquisitely complex, floral and mineral, ridden with tobacco, camphor, honeysuckle, elderberries… And all that. It is what we could call ‘a tertiary whisky’, there are myriads of tiny aromas. Let’s only hope the palate won’t be too tired after all these years (and this low strength)… Mouth: not-at-all. Fabulous arrival, on olive oil, citrons, waxes, chamomile, a greasy mineral side, perhaps plasticine… And it would go on, with chartreuse, some kind of flavourful glycerin, a touch of ham and smoked fish, high-end green tea… It really is amazing. Now remember that ages were just numbers at that time, and that many whiskies were actually older. Think Springbank from that era! Finish: medium, splendidly earthy, waxy, and citrusy. Comments: what’s really amazing is the fatness that makes up for the lower strength. A benchmark bottle, as they say. SGP:552 - 90 points (I could have gone higher, but there…)

We could stop here. We should stop here. But this is Whiskyfun, so… Ooooohhh…

Highland Park 15 yo (105° proof, Private bottling by the Orkney Hotel, bottled July 1967)

C-h-r-i-s-t! An ultra-rare bottle, at 60% vol. (more or less), 1950s or even 1940s distillation, the Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall (no need to travel afar to select good casks!)… What could go wrong? Colour: gold. Nose: a feeling of plenitude and freedom (excuse me?) This is, as expected, totally amazing. And it’s not even too strong when undiluted, as if it had been ‘reduced by time’. Mind you, almost 60 years in glass. In truth, we’re almost nosing Yquem 1967, with a fungal layer, and the most amazing kind of chocolate. There’s a little engine oil as well, but that would be ex-Jaguar D-type. A whisky for Le Mans Classic. With water: all things mentholy, as expected. I often quote chartreuse, but this does nose like old chartreuse. Wait, let me be smart… old white chartreuse? (apologies, never tasted that utter rarity that goes for insane amounts of money – just like Johnnie Walker White Label, I suppose). Mouth: a whisky to marry. Amazingly powerful (the 60% vol. do feel now), candied, chocolaty, and above everything, amazingly tropical. Like old Bowmore or Laphroaig can get tropical. We’re talking mangos and passion fruits. Good, while we’re adding a few drops of water, would you mind calling the anti-maltoporn brigade? With water: irrepressible. Had to use that word one day. Leather, tobacco, smoke, nuts, honeys, mangos… And a touch of cardboard, to be honest. Gets a little drying, perhaps, but I’m feeling like Donald Trump judging a painting by Botticelli now. Finish: long, and akin to some very old rhum agricole. Seriously. Mango jam, some smoked ham, perhaps even a wee slice of dried banana… What’s even more impressive is that there’s a rather massive smokiness in the aftertaste. A bit of oak and grapefruits too. Comments: I was ready to go as far as 94, but the oak in the aftertaste was just a little ‘too much’. Indeed, Trump and Botticelli. SGP:563 - 93 points.

Good, once again we’ve been hoist with our own petard. No way we could or should try contemporary bottlings after that one, that wouldn’t be fair to them. So let’s call this a session, and have all these new HPs that we’ve got another day. Perhaps even tomorrow, we’ll see. Stay tuned!

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