Brent Yamamoto
04-14-2013, 12:11 AM
Highland Park is one of my favorite single malts.
Contrary to the name, it's not a highlands scotch...it's distilled on the island or Orkney and is the northernmost distillery in Scotland.
I've tried their 12, 18, and 25 year bottles...all are very good, though the 18 and 25 are definitely a step up over the 12. Aged in Spanish sherry oak casks, they are all smooth, rich and medium bodied...just enough peat and smoke for me. Not nearly as powerful as something like Lagavulin or Talisker, but very, very tasty.
Tonight I tried a special bottling by A.D Rattray. Bottled at cask strength, and aged 16 years in Bourbon barrels.
What a difference the casks make - I didn't even recognize it as Highland Park. The aroma wasn't so much the island scotch that I'm used to...it was more like just a hint of scotch...and a whole lot of alcohol. (Cask strength is a higher alcohol content...this was 56.2% according to the bottle....compared to 43% on the 12y.o. I have.) Still very smooth, very mild flavor, very little smoke.
Honestly I was expecting a little more...I'm used to big scotches with a lot of flavor (about as subtle as a hammer), but I did enjoy it. Still not as good as the "standard" 18 y.o. Highland Park...but worth trying.
It's a classy bottle too.
30212
Contrary to the name, it's not a highlands scotch...it's distilled on the island or Orkney and is the northernmost distillery in Scotland.
I've tried their 12, 18, and 25 year bottles...all are very good, though the 18 and 25 are definitely a step up over the 12. Aged in Spanish sherry oak casks, they are all smooth, rich and medium bodied...just enough peat and smoke for me. Not nearly as powerful as something like Lagavulin or Talisker, but very, very tasty.
Tonight I tried a special bottling by A.D Rattray. Bottled at cask strength, and aged 16 years in Bourbon barrels.
What a difference the casks make - I didn't even recognize it as Highland Park. The aroma wasn't so much the island scotch that I'm used to...it was more like just a hint of scotch...and a whole lot of alcohol. (Cask strength is a higher alcohol content...this was 56.2% according to the bottle....compared to 43% on the 12y.o. I have.) Still very smooth, very mild flavor, very little smoke.
Honestly I was expecting a little more...I'm used to big scotches with a lot of flavor (about as subtle as a hammer), but I did enjoy it. Still not as good as the "standard" 18 y.o. Highland Park...but worth trying.
It's a classy bottle too.
30212