
September 21, 2017

Another bag of Highland Park

There’s that new livery for the OBs, so we’ll have the new official 12 ‘Viking Honour’ (while hoping that they won’t keep the name and drop the age statement in the near future), and then use it as a stepping stone, as we often do…

Highland Park 12 yo ‘Viking Honour’ (40%, OB, 2017)

40% vol., that’s not very Viking, is it? Rather for gentle and peaceful English farmers, I’d say, but HP is a big distillate, so this may still work… Colour: pale gold. Nose: gentle indeed at first nosing, with some Jaffa cake, all-flower honey, and a touch or marmalade, but indeed something slightly rougher, smokier, and porridge-y arises. Ale, brewer’s yeast, wholegrain bread… That, I enjoy. Some oranges too. Nice. Mouth: I like this, it’s firm, actually rather farmy, with some grassy smokiness, oatcakes, earl grey, tea and milk (as the, ach, English sometimes drink tea), and some kind of green liquorice. Lemon zests in the background. Finish: medium, grassier, with a feeling oh hay and sweet bread. A little ginger (oak) in the aftertaste, suggesting some re-racking has occurred. Comments: perhaps not one to drink from the skulls of your enemies, but I like it better than I had thought. Easily beats most recent NAS ‘warriors’ (or were they heroes?), but of course the glorious old 12s from 20 or 30 years ago, remember the silkscreened bottles? The price is fair. SGP:451 - 84 points.

Highland Park 15 yo 2000/2015 (46%, Edinburgh Whisky Ltd., Library Collection, first fill bourbon, 257 bottles)

Colour: white wine, not very first fill. Nose: clean, opening on grass smoke (garden bonfire) and touches of liquorice wood and fennel, and going on with some mineral lemonness and some damp earth, after some rain. No heady vanilla getting in the way, that’s cool and most welcome. Mouth: I find this excellent, perhaps a bit austere, sharp, zesty, very mineral again, with some beautiful bitter herbs and drops of pinesap and honeydew. Grapefruits coming out as well, together with Seville oranges. Hints of juniper and even gin – but no soapiness whatsoever! Finish: long, beautifully sharp and lemony/smoky, with a little vanilla, ginger and honey in the aftertaste. Comments: I didn’t know this wee company before (not talking about HP, ha), but what’s sure is that they selected an excellent HP. SGP:462 - 88 points.

Highland Park 2007/2016 (58.8%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, refill bourbon barrels, casks # 15603510-15603515)

How many great HPs have we already found within G&M’s ‘Cask’ series? Dozens – granted, including the older white/cream labels. Colour: white wine. Nose: starts kerosene-y, which I enjoy, gets then rather mineral, which I enjoy just as well (chalk, flints), and rather goes towards fruits after that (citrons, grapefruits, rhubarb). Impeccable. With water: menthol first, then various citrus fruits, sweet barley, and a touch of vanilla. Did I tell you I thought this was impeccable? Mouth (neat): wonderful at high strength, extremely lemony and chalky, with an oily mouth feel. Very pure, very zesty. With water: perfect lemon, green apples, green tea, and always this chalkiness that I like so much. Finish: long, ultra-clean. Perfect tart fruits and an entrancing minerality. Comments: this baby may well win this month’s bang for you buck contest! SGP:651 - 90 points.

Highland Park 28 yo 1988/2017 (49.6%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, 222 bottles)

This one spent the last ten years of its life in some Port wood, so this is rather double maturation than quick aromati… I mean, than a finishing. Colour: pale gold. Not pink, hurray! Nose: and that worked. No Port, rather this very typical, slightly mouldy profile that you would find in some very old wine cellar, then a feeling of smoky/fruity herbal tea, then some mint and camphor, perhaps one raspberry, and certainly cigars. Sooty cigars. Love it that the Highlandparkness made it through the Port. Mouth: but it worked! Did they monitor this cask every single week? Air-dried red berries, blood oranges, a touch of caraway, a medicinal side (eucalyptus), a hint of thyme tea, half some blackcurrant gum… This should have been unbalanced, but it isn’t, at all. Finish: long, and using the full power of your mind, you could even find wee notes of Touriga Nacional. Comments: am I really going to give 90 points to some Porto-ed malt whisky? You bet… SGP:561 - 90 points.

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