
June 8, 2018

Wee fights, today Highland Park

The new ‘Light’ is out – hope it’s not light – so let’s have it, and then try to find a wee new IB…

Highland Park 17 yo ‘The Light’ (52.9%, OB, 28,000 bottles, 2018)

Highland Park 17 yo ‘The Light’ (52.9%, OB, 28,000 bottles, 2018)
We’ve had the darker (read more sherried) The Dark earlier in February and thought it was rather too oak-influenced. The Light is supposed to be more ‘zesty’, let’s see… Colour: pale gold. Nose: exactly. Zestier, fresher, better chiselled, rather earthy, almost muddy in a good way, a tad sooty. Apples, pomelos, then more coastal whiffs, iodine, then ointments, mercurochrome, oysters… With water: rather perfect. Orkney mud, clay, toothpaste, wine yeasts, beer… Mouth (neat): excellent! Rather peaty, medicinal and coastal, with superb grapefruits, ginseng, more grapefruits, touches of rhubarb and kiwi, a little mint, eucalyptus drops, chlorophyll… This one’s right up my alley! With water: just excellent indeed, with lemons comings out. That always works a treat in my book. Finish: medium, very refreshing, with more chlorophyll, eucalyptus, and earthy elements. Like, mushrooms. Always a touch of peat smokiness in the aftertaste. Comments: totally classic HP without any botox or silicone. What a great distillate when it’s allowed to sing as a solo!
SGP:452 - 90 points.

Highland Park 21 yo 1996/2017 (52.7%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions, Authors Series, refill hogshead, 230 bottles)

Highland Park 21 yo 1996/2017 (52.7%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions, Authors Series, refill hogshead, 230 bottles)
French writer George Sand on the label, indeed, Chopin and Musset’s lover. I don’t think she ever tried Whisky – let alone Scotch – but she was a true epicurean, and was known for the extravagant quantities of Burgundy wine she was quaffing each and every day. Colour: straw. Nose: oh no, and this humble taster to find notes of chalky white Bourgogne now… Other than that, this is extremely close to The Light (getting spiritual now), with perhaps a little more minerality? All the rest is similar, really. So, perfect (please excuse me, getting a bit lazy here)… With water: ditto. And perhaps wet dogs (I think we already told you we were sorry, dogs). Mouth (neat): indeed. Perhaps both a tad wilder (yeastier) and more tropical (passion fruits). With water: pears! And ale, herbal cordials, stewed apples, mint, lemons, stewed rhubarb, chalk… And indeed, a few drops of good Meursault. Finish: rather long, ale-y and white-Bourgogne-y at the same time. All that because of George Sand… Comments: a perfect draw, really. What a wonderful distillate – a distillate that needs no crutches. I'm rambling, aren't I?
SGP:452 - 90 points.

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