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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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October 14, 2021
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Much more Highland Park
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| As regular, some disclosed, some secret. Let’s proceed… |
Learn Hägar the Horrible! (Dik Browne) ->
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Highland Park 15 yo ‘Viking Coronary heart’ (44%, OB, 2021) 
That is the brand new one which’s bottled in some sort of yellow/white ceramic which will let some absent minded lovers imagine it’s Advocaat. Or Bailey’s. Fairly. Appears to be like like it’s a everlasting addition to the vary. Color: gentle gold. Nostril: awesomely coastal, reasonably peatier, with oysters, seawater, grapefruits and lemon zests. Touches of cinchona and just a little soot too, I’d say it’s clearly a contemporary, smokier Highland Park. We like these. Forgot to say inexperienced oranges and even that eau-de-toilette that Hermès are making of them. I am keen on this nostril. Mouth: certainly, the peat was ‘boosted’. This Highland Park has formally change into a peaty whisky in my e book, with a smokiness that is just about of Talisker stage, in my view. An excellent drop regardless of some seasoned sherry that is just a little leafy, with lemons, bitter oranges, some cinchona and cinnamon, ginger tonic… End: medium, smoky, with some ginger, salt, and drops of cough syrup. Seawater. Feedback: I’d say the ‘sherry’ was a tad pointless and should get in the best way, however aside from that, I am completely keen on this ‘new’ type.
SGP:454 – 86 factors. |
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Highland Park ‘Cask Energy Batch 2’ (63.9%, OB, 2021)
From sherry seasoned European and American oak casks. Sherry seasoned European oak might be tough in my e book, hope this may not have change into too leafy and even leathery. Having stated that, batch #1 of the C/S had been superb, in my view (WF 86). Color: gold. Nostril: not as smoky because the 15, reasonably extra on sponge cake, caramel, fudge, butterscotch, stewed fruits or the trademark heather honey… With water: creamy honeyness and lots of stewed fruits and jams, particularly our beloved quinces, additionally apples and pears. An ideal coastal aspect too, sea spray, even some iodine, mercurochrome, ointments… What’s actually nice is that no clumsy sherry will get in the best way, it is all well-integrated. Mouth (neat): I believe I prefer it however I am positive this can be very sturdy. With water: extra smoke and extra coastalness. A tad an excessive amount of on the leafy-sherry aspect certainly for me, with some bell pepper and even, say artichokes, however the basic feeling stays extraordinarily constructive. All it is advisable do is so as to add the right quantity of water – no, zero water isn’t an choice right here. End: lengthy, maybe a tad too leafy and peppery at this level, which is able to make it lose one or two factors in my e book. Feedback: a tad tough and rustic right here and there, however it’s to my liking. I’ve the sensation, not solely at HP, that some newer sherry-seasoned casks have change into leafier and extra peppery, I do not know why. Due to European oak? Tonnelerias making them quicker? Only a intestine feeling…
SGP:452 – 85 factors. |
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Indies, the ground is yours…
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Secret Orkney 16 yo 2005/2021 (58%, Oxhead Whisky Firm for Dram-Addicts, cask #7, 261 bottles) 
Color: gentle gold. Nostril: traditional medicinal, mineral and lemony profile, very pure, very contemporary, with beautiful notes of sourdough. I’d suppose that is mixing inventory, properly blenders have it good. With water: extra sourdough, extra chalk, extra dwell seafood (clams spring to thoughts, so to talk). Damp grist. Mouth (neat): excellent, salty, lemony, with a stunning creamy fatness (limoncello) and all issues from the ocean, plus lots of chalk, limestone, oysters… With water: distinctive doughy, salty and lemony improvement. Laborious to beat right here at Château WF. End: lengthy, saltier. Quaffing seawater enhanced with lime liqueur. Roughly that. Feedback: lengthy tasting notes should not all the time wanted. Simply questioning, do the homeowners do a model of their common 10 à 40%, solely at cask power? I say this fantabulous zesty make wants no sherry, there. Oh and I will say it, had been I the homeowners, I might be proud to see such a surprising bottle, whether or not indie or not, carry my model title.
SGP:563 – 91 factors. |
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St Ola 15 yo 2006/2021 ‘Apollo 14’ (61.8%, The Whisky Barrel, 1st fill PX sherry, 316 bottles) 
A bottling additionally named ‘Miles & Miles & Miles’, however does which have something to do with The Who and even with Miles Davis? In all probability not, however let’s nonetheless verify whether or not this little HP in disguise is, uh, stratospheric… Color: gold. Nostril: no big a great deal of clumsy PX, that is sorted. Fairly this mineral and medicinal arrival on the nostril, and a sense of smoked crystallised oranges with just a little tonic water. Not too positive although, as a result of thoughts you, 61.8% vol.! With water: one thing Indian right here, or chutney-y, on high of the standard great coastal minerality. Oysters and mussels stewed in curry sauce; they try this, do not they? Mouth (neat): ueber-creamy, only a tad too spicy, gingery, leathery… Large, clearly extreme oak spices however I’d hope that goes away as soon as water’s been added. With water: not completely however we’re comparatively positive. Heavy ginger and curry from the cask (scratched and charred?) with one excellent news, the spirit’s large enough to have stood that reasonably excessive concoctiony (what?) therapy. End: lengthy, the spirit beginning to have the higher hand, with lemon and lime plus seawater and chalk. Feedback: very fashionable. Now the drinker has his/her say too, so long as he/she’s a correct pipette slinger ;-).
SGP:563 – 84 factors. |
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