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Highland
Park distillery
was
founded, according to the official website, in 1798 although it
wasn't granted a license to distil until 1826 which was also the
time that the current distillery was built.
For
some years the distillery was passed through the founding
Borwick family and then various other owners until 1898 when the
latest owner, James Grant expands the distillery from two to
four stills.
1937
saw Highland Park being encompassed into the Highland
Distillers portfolio. |
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In 1999
Highland Distillers (the distillery owners) were taken over as a
joint venture between Edrington Group and W. Grant & Sons, which
is still the status today.
Highland Park is Scotland's most northerly distillery,
located at Kirkwall on Orkney.
It
operates 4 stills (2 spirit & 2 wash) and has a capacity of
around 2.5 million litres of pure alcohol each year.
General whisky characteristics: Smooth, honey and Scottish
heather with a hint of smoke |
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Original
Distillery Bottlings (OB) |
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Highland Park,
12y,
40% ABV
Discontinued
'Sunset' label
Typical cost of
this bottle;
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Nose:
Very slightly peated Scottish moors on an
Autumnal morning after a rain shower.
Palate:
Smooth but slightly watery as opposed to creamy,
with heather, bracken, wet leaves and a delightful hint of
almond.
Overall Impression:
I like most HPs, this is no exception as it encompasses certain
unique aspects of the wild Scottish countryside. |
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Highland Park,
18y,
43% ABV
Discontinued
'Standing Stones' label
Typical cost of
this bottle;
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Nose:
Oak and faint peat with hints of perfumed wet
leaves
Palate:
Very smooth and creamy whilst offering a slightly peaty and
smoky temptation.
Overall Impression:
If just a hint of peat and smoke could be combined with an
essence of Scottish moor and made into a smooth ice cream, this
is how it would taste. Very good! |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Rich
(yellow) gold
Nose:
Heather blossom, moss, honey and just a faint
suggestion of smoke.
Palate:
Delightfully smooth and at the same time rich in flavour. I'm
finding plenty of fruit in this whisky, perhaps raspberries and
redcurrants, but also a faint hint of raisins and everything
wrapped in a bouquet of heather and honey, then lightly smoked
over an open peat bonfire.
Finish: Long
Overall Impression:
Smooth
intense excellence. |
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Highland Park,
25y,
50.7% ABV
Discontinued 'Distillery
Outline' label
Typical cost of
this bottle;
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Rich
oak / dark amber
Nose:
I'm back in
the wild Scottish outdoors, somewhere high on a Ben with freshly
dubbinned hiking boots. Heather and bracken underfoot, fresh air
in my face and slightly smoky treacle toffee at hand. The smoke
intensifies over time as this sits for 10 minutes or so in my
glass.
Palate:
Rich and luxurious
mouth-feel with blackberries, raisins and currants, plus rich
old wood coated in marzipan. Only the slightest hintt of smoke.
Finish:
Extremely long.
With 4 drops of
water in 2cl: Slightly more smoke on the nose. The palate is
smoother but with less marzipan. The finish is more intense.
Overall Impression:
Thoroughly
enjoyable, I love HP25, possibly more than HP30.
Something for (very) special occasions! |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich
sunny amber
Nose:
Aged
oak, bracken, polish and tanned leather. After a minute or two a
slightly herbal-floral attribute appears and then expands into
what I can only describe as oak flavoured ice cream with a
topping of wax furniture polish.
Palate:
Initially smooth nuts, marzipan and butterscotch all charge onto
the palate, then fade gently to leave oak, walnut and a slightly
dry sherry.
Finish:
Long
with oak and dry sherry.
Overall Impression:
An
amazing rapid burst of flavours onto the palate fading gently.
A sophisticated whisky. |
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Highland Park,
Hjarta, 12y,
58.1% ABV
Limited Edition
Typical cost of
this bottle;
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Sunlit Amber
Nose:
Rich and
penetrating, spirit, drying paint, then eventually some rich
fruity notes amongst weathered oak and leather.
Palate:
This is massive. An
explosion of rich dark fruits. It really needs some water.
With 5 drops of
water in 2cl: Marzipan, rich oak and more dark fruit on the
nose. Smoother, dark fruits, toasted marzipan and some fresh
ginger on the palate.
With 5 more
drops of water: A more creamy combination of fruits on the
palate.
With even more
water: the palate weakened but offered a little more heather
and countryside.
Finish: very
long, never ending with water.
Overall Impression:
For a 12y HP this
is a massive flavour bomb, very rich and full of dark fruits.
But it does benefit from some drops of water. |
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Highland Park,
Earl
Magnus, 15y,
52.6% ABV
Limited Edition
Typical cost of
this bottle;
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich gold
Nose:
Faint hint
of rubber, lots of spirit and a refreshing walk along the cliffs
of an Atlantic coastline.
Palate:
Very smooth in
spite of the high alcohol %abv, but immediately an a-typical HP
with slight ginger, a little earth, some honey and the faintest
touch of lemon.
With 3 drops of
water in 2cl: A slightly fresher nose and more intense
palate where the citru (lemon) prevails.
With 3 more
drops of water: A little more citurs on the nose and much
more spice (a mixture of ginger and lemon) on the palate.
With 5 drops more
water: The citrus and pepper have gone, the palate is
smoother, but slightly less distinct.
Finish:
Long, very long with pepper, slight citrus, a hint of ginger and
something almost like white wine.
Overall Impression:
I am indebted to
Gal Granov of Whisky Israel for sending me this generous sample
and he did warn me that this was far from a typical Highland
Park. Gone is the Scottish countryside of bracken, heather,
slight peat and smoke, to be replaced by something which I can
only describe as quite Italian. Fresh and citrus readily come to
mind. It may indeed be different, but it's still pretty good. |
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Highland Park,
Earl
Haakon, 18y,
54.9% ABV
Limited Edition one
of 3300 bottles
Typical cost of
this bottle;
Live Dram-atics review
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich gold / light amber
Nose:
Immediately rich with spices (think cloves and ginger), a
hint of oil of orange, wood and after some minutes the slightest
suggestion of raspberry appears alongside vanilla.
Palate:
Also immediately rich and very smooth with a creamy
mouth-feel which offers a quite unusual combination of wood and
fruit. The orange and faint raspberry are detectable, as are
wood and vanilla and something almost clove-like leads into the
slightly dry finish.
With
4 drops of water:
The spices and wood are increased on the nose whereas the orange
is further enhanced on the palate.
A further 4 drops
of water
almost totally remove the fruit from the nose whilst enhancing
the wood even more. The palate is slightly drier with that
orange but also with the addition of faint or very light coffee
beans and a hint of dark chocolate.
My overall impression
is that this shows some family resemblance
to the 'normal' Highland Park 18y, whilst still offering
quite a few differences, however, the biggest difference really
has to be the price. When this becomes available (I believe in
late summer 2011) I am told the cost will be 160 GBP, a price
which I feel leans towards the 'must have' collectors rather
than the day to day drinkers.
Yes, it's a good whisky, a very good whisky which I would say is
worthy of 89 points
and in my mind there's also no doubt that those lucky enough to
get hold of one will see their investment increase over some
years.
But please also consider trying it too.
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Highland Park,
1971 vintage, distilled 1971,
bottled 2011,
46.9% ABV
Limited Edition one of 657 bottles
Typical cost of
this bottle;
Live Dram-atics review
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Glass; Classic Malt.
Colour; rich amber
Nose; wood and currants make a
ninitial appearance, then a rather fruity but light smokiness,
perhaps blueberry and bramble? These are followed by creamy milk
chocolate and an almost cappucino suggestion. There's also a
light perfume reminiscent of sandalwood.
Palate; wood,
bramble, heather and a creamy white pepperiness. Slightly dry
and really quite fruity towards finish.
Finish; Very long,
fruity and lively.
Overall
Impression;
Lots of fruitiness and outward "power" or
richness. This '71 also exhibits a surprisingly good liveliness
within the finish which is a little uncharacteristic of such
older whiskies and combines to make this a truly excellent
example, but at what cost?
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Highland Park,
1976
vintage, distilled 1976, bottled 2011,
49.1% ABV
Limited Edition one of
893 bottles
Typical cost of
this bottle;
Live Dram-atics review
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Glass; My trusty Classic Malt
Colour;
lightly golden
Nose; very floral wood with some initial maltiness, then
expanding with a gentle smokiness and traditional wax furniture
polish.
Palate; very creamy mouth-feel, floral vanilla and a
good dose of fresh air and countryside, including light
grassiness.
Finish; Long
with polished wood and lightly smoked vanilla.
Overall Impression; A fine helping of
smokiness and a suggestion of what I can only describe as "inner
power" make this a very interesting whisky with multiple facets,
but still retaining what I call a quite typical Highland Park
character of the great Scottish outdoors. Make no mistake,
this is another truly excellent whisky!
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Adelphi,
Highland Park, 12y, 60.9% ABV
Cask No. 10463
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
Scottish moors, heather and a little faint smoke.
Palate: At 60.9% this is extremely strong and the alcohol
slightly overwhelms. There are some lovely smoky notes over
heather, but I quickly added water ...
With 4 drops of water: Delightfully smooth, a wonderful
HP with heather, smoke and just a hint of treacle toffee.
With a further 4 drops of water:
Some wonderful floral elements now appear in the after-taste to
dance around the palate.
Overall impression: I love this HP, especially with the
water added.
A second
tasting of this one at a later date shows similar results;
Palate: Initially smooth
with a touch of liquorice and Scottish moor, then the alcoholic
burn comes along to remind you it's just over 60%.
With 5 drops of Water in 2cl:
The water release more heathery and meadow-like notes to
the nose. On tha palate it's still smooth, but the burn doesn't
kick in so much and a previously missing floral element soon
makes itself known.
With
a further 5 drops of water: The floweriness is enhanced,
especially in the after taste which remains long and very
pleasant.
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McKillops,
Highland Park, distilled 21.9.1981, bottled Jan. 2006, 24y,
56.3% ABV
Cask No. 6080,
bottle No. 055
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light gold
Nose:
An Alpine meadow in
the afternoon sun, with lots of gently warming floral aromas and
just a hint of light smoke in the background.
Palate:
Fruit, biscuit and
lots of alcohol. Let's add some water.
With
5 drops of water:
Fruity smoke on the
nose, Still fruity on the palate, but now with a little
more smoke and a hint of peat.
With a further 4 drops of water:
The nose is now
more like a Scottish than Alpine meadow. Less fruit on the
palate, but a little more light smoke, bracken, heather and moss
on the palate remindine me of a good Sunday afternoon walk in
the Scottish wilderness.
Finish: Long
Overall impression:
The fruit and
Alpine flora make this an unusual Highland Park, but with water
it turns more Scottish. I love the variety within this whisky.
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Glasgow Whisky
Festival 2010,
Highland Park,
14y,
52.3% ABV
Bottled by David
Stirk's "Creative Whisky Company"
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Light yellow (9ct) gold
Nose:
Faint
but offering hints of slightly sweet Scottish meadow (bracken,
heather) with just a hint of smoke. After some minutes this
develops a suggestion of leather which immediately makes me
think of a pair of (leather) slippers warming in front of a
traditional open fire.
Palate:
Fruity
on the palate with apple, peach and pear alongside the heather
and bracken. Perhaps a fruity picnic on an open Scottish
hillside.
Finish:
Medium
to long and fruity.
Overall impression:
The
palate is pretty decent, but somehow it doesn't quite live up to
the promises made by the nose which grew in strength over some
minutes. But it's still a good whisky!
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Murray McDavid,
Highland Park,
46% ABV
Chateau LaFitte
finish
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich gold / light amber
Nose:
Leather shoes, wax furniture polish and slightly scorched red
wine, perhaps even mulled wine or the German Christmas Glόhwein?
There's also a suggestion of aged wood left to scorch in midday
summer heat.
Palate:
Fruity
red
wine with a splash of pear schnapps and dried fruit.
Finish:
Long,
perhaps too long.
Overall impression:
An
interesting nose turns into an unbalanced and quite unremarkable
palate. Here's one wine finish that shouldn't have been.
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Silver Seal,
Highland Park,
18y, 1992, 53.1% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Dark glowing amber
Nose:
Lots
of wood, in fact more akin to a freshly (wax) polished antique
oak table. Then comes a burst of fruit with banana stem, black
cherries and bramble, overlayed with a slight smokiness
and bracken-covered Scottish hillside.
Palate:
Immediate pepper right on the front of the palate whilst smoky
bracken (does this exist? It does now) and dark fruits sit
firmly in the middle of the palate. Creamy banana and
butterscotch lead towards the finish.
With 4 drops of
water: More, but lighter, wood on the nose. The palate is
creamier with lots more fruit.
With 4 more
drops of water: A much more rounded nose with aromatic,
slightly floral wood. The pepperiness of the palate is further
reduced to be replaced with butterscotch.
Finish:
Long
and luxurious.
Overall impression:
Did I
mention this is a sherried HP? It's delightfully different but
still manages to retain that typical bracken and light smoke so
typical of Highland Park. A very good whisky.
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