I came late to the Highland Park table, because of a silly mistake that was entirely my fault; I had a distant, and wrong, memory that Highland Park was a cheap blend. Turns out I was thinking of the mouth swill known as Highland Mist. Understandable mistake, but one that sadly delayed my liquid journey to the Orkney Islands, home of the Highland Park distillery.
I'll eventually get around to the other, older variants of Highland Park, but the 12 Year is what they call "the very heart of our core range," so it seems like a good place to start.
Nose: Vaguely sherried notes (red grapes and maybe dried plums) tend to overwhelm an airy, almost translucent note of smoke. Unsure if this actually IS sherried, which is interesting. Sherry masquerade, let's say. Mixed in there are some alcohol fumes, some honey, and some heather. Smells quite young, I would not have guessed this Scotch had a dozen years under its belt.
Mouthfeel: Very very silky. Smooth as a velvet Elvis.
Palate: Ah, here's where it gets interesting - the faintest hints of smoke on the nose erupt into some real peat on the tongue. Layered above and below this nice peat note is a thick honey note, some vanilla, cereal grains, and then oak and caramel candy at the end.
Finish: The oak dissolves into pepper, the caramel dissolves into lemon taffy. An odd finish that goes on much longer than you'd expect, but almost in phantom form. The lemon pepper vanishes, but the mouth retains their essence for quite some time.
Verdict: Tentatively recommended, but only if you find it at a price below, say, $40. I found this for $37, and I think that is just about right. It's sweet, and there are nice things happening, but nothing will shake you, nor make you lick your lips with anticipation (or memory, once you've finished it). I'm curious about the older expressions.
Link to the Highland Park 12 website: http://highlandpark.co.uk/shop/highland-park-12-year-old/
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