Highland Park 26yo 1983-2009 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing cask#5596
Upping the ante to a Highland Park, a whisky distillery that I feel never really disappoints, but does lack some in comparison to former years, particularly the young ones. This one comes from a sherry hogshead, a dark malt. Smells fantastic, amazing sherry notes, lots of rustic sweet oloroso, apricot jam and dry elderflowers, old woman's furniture, the ones you remember from Granny's attic. The taste is intensely sweet and peppery, honey mustard and strawberries, reminds me of some of the older bottlings of the 12yo.
Old sherry style magic: 8.5
Highland Park 12yo 1998-2010 40% OB for travel retail
I remember the 1994 version of this, a darker whisky, could that have more sherried produce in the mix? This one is golden pale, smells malty, peppery, spirity, fresh linen clothing, and barbecue smoke. Kind of plain and boring so far, doesn't have that characteristic HP honey that we've become so accustomed to. But that is a profile that in my opinion seems to be lacking more and more in recent HP bottlings. The taste has some heather and honey, briny, coastal, some saltiness, but it is all so modest that at even this %abv its soon overpowered by spirity notes. The aftertaste is peppery and somewhat sweet, caramel syrup infused with artificial flavorings.
A perfectly easy-going Highland Park, maybe it needs to be upped to 46%?: 5.5
Highland Park 19yo 1988-2007 46% Cadenhead's 555btls.
A deep red coloured sherry cask matured Highland Park. Smells sulphury, dry, very concentrated. Some honey sweetness saves it odor-wise. The flavor is really nice, some bitter and herbal notes, orange skin, sweet almond-nutty aromas. I'll add some water as it seems a bit restrained. With water the bitter notes develops into more bitterness and some sweet complexity, like red grapes with seeds, first sweet, light and thick, then it suddenly turns very bitter as if chewing the grape seeds. A fairly complex malt at just 46%.
Again a Highland Park I'd like to try at cask strength: 5
Highland 22yo 1987-2009 43% Signatory Vintage
Wow, this is such a sweet Highland Park, seems completely free of any sherry, woody, spirity or peaty notes. Just that sweet vanilla sensation you get from a good bourbon cask and the mild unpeated malty notes that I often find in Highland Parks distilled pre 1995 or so. The taste is of light peat, heather, honey, vanilla, oaky. The malty notes have disappeared and now there's just a bit too much going on here unfortunately. To carry so many aromas I think it needs a higher alcohol proof. In contradiction to prior statement I'll add some water. Now it's easier, sweeter, like some funky flavored bubble gum, you know, the synthetic looking kind.
One to enjoy after a good meal, almost like an aqua vitae, light!: 3.5
Highland Park 11yo 1988-1999 46% Murray McDavid cask#1298
From a fresh sherry cask, I don't know whether that's a cask rejuvenated for some months with new sherry after prior use, or if it comes straight from the winery? Orange hue, smells light, waxy, rubbery, and a bit of stiff old shampoo. The taste is peppery, sweet, chilli, clean, garlic, sweet-potatoes and choriander. This is a beautiful but unusual Highland Park. Water makes it sweeter and a bit less punchy.
Not your usual HP, but a good dram for sure: 7
Highland Park 16yo 46% Alchemist
This one was finished in an ex-calvados cask, or apple spirit if you like. Too be honest I've never been too impressed by this french alternative to Brandy, maybe it will surprise me! The smell is much rounder and gentler than the Mission, apples, honey, syrup, mellow fruits, a nice an gentle malt. The taste is at first sweet, but not much more, kind of like a calvados, not bad but rather boring. When the finish starts it really takes off with some minty notes, minty and peppery, not what I'd expected but very lively.
An untraditional, fuzzy Highland Park: 5.5
Highland Park 14yo 1995-2009 46% Murray McDavid Mission
I'm hoping to keep up the good scores from last Edradour Vertical with some othe usually light and gentle whiskies. This one is from a refill sherry cask. Smells of dry sherry, spirity, sulphury, not very pleasant so far. The taste is extremely sulphury, just too much, I don't recognise any honey or floral notes at all here, there's just no Highland Park left. Needs water. With water it gets even worse, peppery, spirity, spirity, bitter green leaves, agricultural ones. Horrible!
Worst Highland Park I've ever tried: 1
Highland Park 8yo 57% OB 80's
I'm doing two of these miniatured flat bottled 100 proof OB's from the 80's today. I'm glad that fashion never really was transferred to bigger bottles. This is an old style highland park bursting with floral and honey notes on the nose. It's perfect, like some old 12yos I've been fortunate enough to try. But 57% is a bit much tastewise, small drop of water, now it's perfect, just a bit dry, honeyed, floral, some herbs and a beautiful caramel aftertaste. I'd just love to have a big bottle of these old Highland Parks, whisch unfortunately are just getting harder and harder to come by.
They don't make 'em like this any more: 8.5
Highland Park 20yo 1978-1998 46% Murray McDavid
From a refilled sherry cask. I usually love Highland Park, only with a few exceptions, and they're often among the ones that comes from bourbon barrels only. This one has a rich, toffee scent, kind of reminds me of earlier versions of the 12yo. The taste is dry, phenolic, sulfur and with a long bitterness as a finish. I'm surprised the cask had such a huge influence on this one, as it's only a refill. When that is said, the sherry notes overpowers everything else tastewise, and the fine layers of honey, amongst other tastes very often found in Highland Park, is miles away.
Nice sherry, but there's very little HP in the end result: 5
Highand Park 21yo 47.5% OB
This is the former standard 21yo as I believe the recent version has been watered all the way down to 40%abv prior to bottling. The nose is sweet and sherried, reminds me of some of the 12yo from back in the 90's. And the taste follows up with marvellous complexity of maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, sour dough, camphor, toffee and cream. It's a perfect dessert in a small glass and I do believe everyone will find something to enjoy in this one. Well, enough with the advertisement, the aftertaste is a bit burnt and slightly bitter unfortunately and ruins some of the experience. This is one that I cherish for a long time on the palate, but doesn't necessarily have to swallow.
Like a good movie that ends horrible: 7
Highland Park 10yo 1998-2009 46% Daily Dram
A very strong nose on this HP, Usually the distillery bottlings has some nice and sweet odors. Maybe it's because this one is lacking sherry notes. The taste is very sour, hot and sour, chilli, ginger and lemon. This is a totally new expression to me, and I guess a must-try for every HP-patriot. The aftertaste is very peppery, not unlike some of the recent Islays I've tried. It's very easy, and could easily bore a connoisseur if it weren't for the special and very original palate.
It's totally different from any other HPs I've ever tried: 6.5
Highland Park 15yo 40% OB
I'm excited to try this one, as the 16yo failed to please my palate. This one is one year younger and not nearly as dark in colour. The nose is very phenolic, some lavender and cooked cauliflower. The taste is like salty liquorice with dried herbs. With an aftertaste of batteri acid and rusty nails. It seems to me that there might have been bottled whisky from some bad casks on Orkney lately. This whisky is pretentiously weak.
Understandably a rarity on the international market: 2.5
Highland Park 12yo 58.1% OB "Hjärta"
Cask strength this one? A limited special edition from Highland Park. I haven't tried any young CS from this distillery. Maybe it's the independent trend making it's mark with bottle numbers, and whatnot. It's sweet, sulphur, sherry-like nose, must be much sherry matured content. At first it's extraordinarily intense, lots of sherry and some bourbon? A strange mix as I find Vanilla as well as chili and salt. It's just a bit too much on the aftertaste I'm afraid, and it ruins some of the good flavours.
Unfortunately it's lacking some of the ususal HP smoothness: 6
Highland Park 25yo 50.7% OB
The older Highland Parks are bottled at a nice abv these days. I'm not sure if it's cask strength. Immensely sweet smell, red colour, reminds me more of the 12 year old than any of the older ones, but it shows that it holds more alcohol. It's definately sherry matured, dry, flowery, dark chocolate, sweets and cough drops. It's a splendid malt, but don't add water as it ruins some of the richness.
One to take neat: 7
Highland Park 16yo 40% OB
Highland Park has time and time again shown to be one of my favourite malts. This one is bottled for the duty free market at airports, ships, etc. It smells alright, sweet, nutty, typical Highland Park, just a little less firm. As of for my tastebuds, it's just a big yawn, mild, spirity and watery. Pretty loose, in lack of a better word.
By far my biggest Highland Park disappointment till this day: 2.5
Highland Park 8yo 40% Gordon & Macphail Macphails Collection
Youngest tasting of this Islander so far for me. It does have some of the 12-year old's odors, in addition to some sweet liquorice. The taste makes me think of Cuba, a Cigar, some rum and carribean fruits. There's many things said about Highland Park, but in my book it's almost always a winner.
Orkneys symphony: 7.5
Highland Park 22yo 46% Cadenhead's
Highland Park is well recognizeable on this independent bottling. Sends whiffs of freshly toasted waffles, gingerbread and cinnamon, a christmas malt? The taste is lumber and smooth, lavender, dark syrup and toffeecaramel. Highland Park shows an extraordinary developing potential in this one.
A classic in new disguise: 7
Highland Park 18yo 43% OB
The usually so wonderful Highland Park as 18 year old is very different from it's 6 years young sibling. Because of it's initial soft spirit, the mild flavour can easily get overrun by the wood. The taste combines massive caramel, dark chocolate, oak and soft smoke.
A refined veteran : 7
Highland Park 12yo 40% OB
Cinnamon, honey, caramel, toffee, chocolate, newly made waffles and cuban cigars, perhaps one of the worlds most delicate whiskies, I believe it will be almost impossible to dislike this one. Fits perfect as a starter on an evening of good whisky.
Harmony on a bottle: 8.5
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