It's been a while since I last reviewed an OB @HighlandPark bottle, like a lot of people I started on the 40% 12yo from Tesco and was hooked. Unfortunately the Viking comic strip started and the prices sky rocketed...
The Cask Strength releases seem to return to an age before dodgy marketing, let's see what it's like!
Only just the most northerly distillery in Scotland, Highland Park has been distilling since 1798. Currently owned by Erdington.
A quiet release, without the Viking marketing, Cask Strength is now on it's 3rd release. Labelled as Robust and Intense and that's exactly what it is!
Bottled straight from the cask, without adding water to reduce alcohol content, delivers the extraordinary depth, complexity and balance of flavours that’s now the established hallmark of our Cask Strength series. Release No. 3 is no exception.
This third release has been created using an expertly balanced combination of three cask types – first-fill sherry seasoned American and European oak casks and a smaller quantity of refill casks for balance and depth. Bottled at 64.1% ABV using a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt, our Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, has achieved an intensely smoky character, coming through first on the nose with aromas of smouldering peat and lightly charred oak, balanced by honey-glazed lemons and crushed aniseed.
Flavours:
Lightly charred oak | Honey-glazed lemons | Crushed aniseed | Ripe mango | Cloudy heather honey | Whipped vanilla cream | Aromatic violet | Pink grapefruit zest | Rich sponge cake | Smouldering peat smoke
Appearance: Light gold in the glass, swirls cling as a hairline crack in the glass, take an age to form small beads which eventually fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Gentle heathery peat smoke, a little salinity, some dried fruit, caramel, marzipan and honey. There's an interesting Victoria Sponge note here too! Some milk chocolate, vanilla custard and lemon citrus peel round things off.
Palate: Thick, sweet arrival, toffee, honey and brown sugar. There's a little salinity, a little smoke and a bite of peppery spice. It's a high ABV but you'd never guess 64.1%. A hint of dunnage funk and some berry jam influence from the sherry casks. There's some tropical fruit notes, citrus and dark chocolate before the smoke comes back to blanket the tongue. A few more sips offer lemon zest, mango, pineapple, kiwi and peach, it's a little drying before again there's a little salinity and a blanket of peat smoke. Nice!
Finish: Lingering peat smoke, salinity, toffee and berries.
Overall: This is a vatting of a number of single casks, undiluted and bottled to enjoy - simple! It does take me back to my early days of the 12yo but with a huge improvement in mouthfeel and complexity. There's no marketing story or silly price tag - this bottle cost me £58, and it's bloody good. Message to Edrington - keep your Viking marketing stories for Scandinavia, leave us with reasonably priced, high ABV, unchillfiltered, plainly labelled whisky. Keep it simple!
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