If I'm being completely honest, I only really bought this because it supported a good charity (Fisher House Foundation) on Veteran's Day here in the US, and because it was the least expensive of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") Black Label bottlings - their oldest, most mature offerings. I simply couldn't justify $1000+ for an ancient Mortlach, etc.
But I do quite like independent bottlings of Highland Park, especially the recent revattings I've had from SMWS - "Dining by the Harbor" and "By the Beautiful Sea" were both amazing bottles. This is a 17 year Highland Park (those 17 years in ex-bourbon) that was revatted and finished another 3 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead. Here are the official notes:
The nose began with garden sheds, honey on telephone poles and balsamic; then it showed its seductive side with ice-cream sundaes, strawberry Mivvi and cranachan – but soon the wind changed again bringing driftwood bonfires and coffee beans in hessian sacks. Tasting it, we found subtle smoke, salted caramel, prune yoghurt, treacle, muscovado and nicotine tar. The reduced nose favoured rock-pools, ships’ timbers and lemon squeezed over fish suppers, caramelised almonds, nut brittle and vanilla. The palate became sweet, salty and citric – clamato juice, treacle tart, tapenade on brown bread, cinnamon toast and pork cooked in bay leaves and whisky sauce. At 17 years of age, we combined selected casks from this distillery. We then returned that single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
Sounds good to me; very much like the previous bottlings I've had, but sounds even more mature and integrated. I'm hoping for that strawberry/ice cream note! And, of course, the smoking honey. Nicotine tar!! Should be an interesting bottle. Bottled at 55.1%, which is pretty healthy number at 20 years old, and filed under the "lightly peated" category, it's nicknamed "A Punch and a Pout" in the US market - in the UK it's "Honey and Heft." Let's try some...
Nose: Quite bashful initially - like other Highland Parks I've had, it takes its time unwinding and spreading its wings. Initial notes of potting soil, unripe strawberries, and honey eventually add heather, rock salt and minerals and soft brine over time, with a constant underpinning of old wood, and used coffee grounds. Also smoke, woody smoke. Soft vanilla, almost like simple syrup.
At first, the wood, soil, and smoky coffee grounds dominate - quite earthy indeed - but slowly the fruit and sweetness emerge. This just smells "very old" - I would have guessed 30 years old rather than 20. The initial cask they used must have been quite active, as it imparted a ton of wood tannins that really come through on the nose.
With a few drops of water, this changes slightly: industrial coal smoke is paired with a nuttiness (roasted nut husks?), old leather, extra virgin olive oil, sea brine, and a very subtle citrus note, like ... lemon peel? Let it sit for long enough, and hints of vanilla ice cream come out.
Mouthfeel: Silky, oily, but a touch thin.
Palate: Very mature, but with a touch of a woody bite. Punch and a pout, indeed. Very old wood (ship's timbers, sure), smoke, a muscular flavor of coal tar, and salty brine are first on the tongue - this could easily be filed under Oily and Coastal. Aged balsamic vinegar. These give way on the tongue to berries - strawberries, tart raspberries, macerated blueberries. Towards the end of the development, caffe latte. The consistent baseline here is the old wood - this really shows its 20 years in the cask. It's extremely easy sipping.
With some water: this doubles down on the earthy notes and takes on even more coastal notes. I actually agree completely with the official notes: pork in bay leaves and whisky, clamato juice (!), tapenade on dark bread. Although for the sweet notes I would say "smoked honey" and "balsamic caramel" (!). It tastes *very* old yet is incredibly easy to drink. Like other very old whiskies I've had, it's exceedingly smooth. It actually reminds me of 21 year Glenfarclas, but the bourbon version.
Finish: Quite an unusual finish: old oak and loam (clay, water, sand) with brief bursts of honey and coffee and tarry coal smoke. The coal smoke sticks to your cheeks and tongue for quite a long time. Dark flavors envelop the finish.
Verdict: Well, it's been quite some time since I had a two-decade-old Scotch; although the recent 17 year Bowmore came pretty close. As mentioned earlier, based on scent and taste alone I would have guessed this was 30 years in the cask - it has so much mature wood, minerality, tar and smoke, paired with muted honey/berry sweetness that rolls in smoothly, all combining for an experience I can only term "mature."
This is, in fact, the polar opposite of most of the SMWS whiskies, which are often quite young, quite energetic, quite brash, full of verve and energy and brightness and wild flavors. I understand why they gave this the black label; this reminds me quite a bit of other oily, coastal, fragrant Highland Parks I've had from SMWS, but more obviously older, with noticeable cask involvement, and with more rounded edges.
It is a late evening "nightcap" whisky if there ever was one - drink this on long, lonely, rainy/snowy winter nights. Worthwhile, although it almost surprises me to write that.
No comments:
Post a Comment