| |
Dwelling
Hundreds of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2021
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
December 31, 2021
|
|
  |
|
A smaller bag of Highland Park
|
 |
Along with Angus, we have tried a great deal of HPs in 2021. There are at all times many HPs popping out, together with all these ‘Secret Orkneys’ that might have a tendency, except completed in first-fill-PX-seasoned-scratched-wood, to be completely glorious. As for our apéritif in the present day, a recentish official NAS that had slipped via our fingers ought to do…
|
| Okney’s Maeshowe Dragon – > |
|
|
Highland Park ‘Dragon Legend’ (43.1%, OB, +/-2017) 
Extra peat and extra sherry on this one, apparently, but in addition extra unlikely legends and tales, on this very case a struggle between a dragon, Fafnir, and a Viking warrior, Sigurd. You may have seen that it wasn’t bottled at 43%, relatively at 43.1%, which does depart us all speechless. It had been bottled fairly some years in the past however I had by no means tried it. Color: gold. Nostril: a bit of metallic and teaish, and positively fairly leafy. Some damp earth and touches of black olives, whereas the sherry had been, certainly, very leafy. Touches of inexperienced plums as nicely and the faintest soapiness. Some toffee after 5 minutes, whereas it will relatively enhance, globally. Mouth: peaty certainly, salty, then spicy. Ginger cake, some dried dates, muscovado sugar, then lemon marmalade, whereas that peatiness would fade away. Echoes of Oban. End: medium, leafier once more. Cherry stem tea, a bit of leather-based, a bit of olive brine (black olives). Feedback: I do get pleasure from HP ex-refill HHD, or bourbon, a lot better, naturally, however I discover this beautiful good as nicely. So, who gained, the Viking or the dragon?
SGP:462 – 83 factors. |
|
What are they going to do on the SMWS when many of the blue chip Distilleries will fordbid the usage of their names or solely promote ‘blends’? Will they use random numbers? Or solely bottle good-karma names that might not do this?
|
|
|
Highland Park 12 yo 2008/2021 (61.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #4.270, ‘From Heather Moore to Seashore’, bourbon hogshead, 244 bottles) 
Color: white wine. Nostril: extraordinarily tough and rustic, spirity, acetone-y and near the rawest vodka, however relatively bizarrely, I feel this works a deal with. Whisky as if Man had had no say in its making. With water: completely on chalk, porridge, wool, sourdough and grist. No heather and no ‘seashore’ that I can discover at this level, however I am certain that’ll come out on the palate. Mouth (neat): candy Vishnu, this can be a massive rock and curler, extraordinarily grassy, rugous, aggressive, you’ll nearly consider somebody distilled stadium grass. Which, I suppose, they often do each week in Glasgow (I am afraid they’re going to by no means let me in once more). With water: good tight lemons, grapeseed oil, grass, inexperienced tea, a contact of rubber, after which certainly, oysters. Oysters do counsel ‘the seashore’, do they not. End: lengthy, good. Lime grass dough and brine. Sends shivers down your backbone. Feedback: no heather that I might discover, I have to be heather-blind. Now what I discovered is a reasonably good bare younger HP de la muerte. However please use water.
SGP:372 – 88 factors. |
|
|
Highland Park 22 yo 1998/2021 (56.8%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Selection, for LMDW, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #5300, 183 bottles)
I’ve this sense… Color: mild gold with a bronze hue. Nostril: was there a nail within the cask? What’s certain is that this can be a relatively luxurious nostril, richer than the others (it is 22, S.) with some lime tea at first, a whiff of violets, then a bit of patchouli, breads and truffles, mirabelles and quinces (hurray), celeriac, carrots, fir honey, peppermint, myrtle for certain… Pretty complexity, which you may solely get with age anyway. Similar with males (yeah proper). With water: wow. Beautiful earthiness, white truffles, outdated cellar, dunnage… Mouth (neat): these are very arduous to beat. Many HPs by G&M have been arduous to beat, particularly some outdated ‘CASK’ variations, nicely that is how we used to name them. Liquorice, sourdough, wholegrain bread, mentholy honey, walnut wine, marmalade… That is a kind of humorous recent ASBs that might impart fino-like notes to the spirit, except these have been within the distillate from the start. With water: a wee tad on the woody aspect at this level (oak oils) however in any other case excellent. End: lengthy, stable, agency, and as they are saying in London, assertive. Feedback: it is nice to have this one after the SMWS, I really like them each, for reverse causes. Beautiful consistency in each, you would nearly chew these HPs.
SGP:462 – 89 factors. |
|
|
An Orkney Distillery 8 yo 2012/2021 (57.1%, Watt Whisky, hogshead, 392 bottles) 
In the event that they bottled this one at 8 that is as a result of they thought it was prepared. Sound apparent however consider me, that is not at all times apparent in every single place. Color: white wine. Nostril: energetic wooden, butterscotch, custard, croissants, wealthy ale, mashed potatoes and shortbread. Just a little maple syrup and, maybe, a bit of heather honey. Does not scream HP this far however it’s beautiful. With water: extra on dough, paraffin, earth and chalk… Mouth (neat): excellent, fattish, orangey, with relatively quite a lot of earl gray, bergamot bonbons, touches of ginger after which oriental pastries, orange blossom water, honeyed water… With water: simply yep. Gentian! Notes of bananas within the background, most likely from the wooden. End: medium lengthy, extra recent and natural. Some spearmint, roots, beets, the aftertaste being a tad rubbery, maybe. Feedback: I am undecided you would have a greater HP at 8. Nice age/high quality ratio – however why rely?
SGP:462 – 87 factors. |
|
A final one, a good youthful one:
|
|
|
Secret Orkney 2017/2021 (59.8%, Swell de Spirits, palo cortado end octave, cask #717/6C) 
Boy oh boy oh boy, an octave… 2017, wasn’t that simply yesterday? And vertical writings on labels are very cool, however maybe not on a Mac’s display… ooh my neck! (S., are you performed complaining but?) Color: gold. Nostril: trendy. Plantains, bruised bananas, panettone, teak oil, Barbour grease, leather-based polish (Connolly’s, naturally) and beer sauce. Like, diminished trappiste. With water: carbonnade flamande, sauna oils, leather-based polish, smoking bidis, new-sawn plywood. Mouth (neat): no, it is fairly good if excessive. Completely trendy, extremely extractive, really excessive certainly in that respect, with litres of important oils, thyme, some rubber, bicycle inside tube, pickled ginger… With water: citrus coming to the rescue, which at all times works, however in any other case it is actually getting tannic, inexperienced, powerful… I might suppose youthful generations of drinkers/tasters can be relatively extra into this fashion of whisky; this member of the outdated guard will stay a bit of prudent and circumspect. End: very lengthy, inexperienced, with extra important oils. A great deal of inexperienced spices then, bitters, ginger, Jägermeister… Feedback: my flame’s beginning to flicker right here, as they are saying in Rome. Completely spectacular for certain, however in all probability a bit of ‘an excessive amount of’ for me. I agree, that is my drawback…
SGP:273 – 80 factors (grain of salt etcetera). |
|
However do not do this to me too usually! 😉
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
