hs305 scored this whisky 90 points 
[October, 2019] Highland Park is on its way to a luxury brand with extraordinary prices even for young releases so a bottling like this is very welcomed...
...and as a original distillery release this would be sold for more than twice the price, most probably. This is a perfect example of the fine Highland Park profile with all its great aromas and flavours in a fine balance. A dangerously quaffable dram and one of the best HP's I had since years.
...and as a original distillery release this would be sold for more than twice the price, most probably. This is a perfect example of the fine Highland Park profile with all its great aromas and flavours in a fine balance. A dangerously quaffable dram and one of the best HP's I had since years.
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The colour is jonquiripe corn and the nose offers this adorable honey-fruity-sweet HP profile which I really like. There are plenty of other aromas io explore, among them spices, waxes, shy peaty notes, grassy and earthy aromas and some maritime impressions of seaweed and salt. All in a perfect balance and quite impressive (out of a big spheric blenders glass). By the way, it is much more shy out of a standard Glencairn glass, here I would score it 2-3 points lower. After significant breathing time the old-style aromas like waxes and earthy notes grow stronger what I like.
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The taste is nicely layered on sweet heather honeys with a touch of herbs first before the spicy woods join in. Next are the waxes with earthy notes and then the fruits pop up, boldly. The barley sugars form a nice backing to this parade and combine to a white chocolate taste towards the end. All without any flaw or imbalance and the dram is greatly chewable - the peaty notes grow stronger this way which is very delicious.
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The dram arrives charming on the palate with a warming and instantly coating feeling without distracting moments. The finish is long and adds more tasty herbal and fine (olive) oily flavours. No bitter or drying moments, this is all perfect. Water is not needed because it just flattens the dram - the neat version is perfect as it is.
