The third and final bottle of a trio of independently bottled Highland Parks from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), as part of a distillery deep dive they did in December of 2021. I couldn't resist - I think independent Highland Park is the best Highland Park.
This one, like "A Horned Beast" (4.300) before it, is considered peated rather than oily and coastal by the standards of the SMWS flavor categories. I'm curious - normally Highland Park isn't considered super peaty, but rather quite lightly peated, almost as an afterthought.
Here are the official tasting notes:
A classic assortment of salty seaside aromas, lobster pots and smoked kippers gathered around fragrant violets, Crème Brûlée and lemon meringue pie topped with creosote, fennel seeds and coal dust. The palate was spicy with a ginger heat that softened to dried herbs and star anise alongside citrus peel, smoked ham and earthy mushrooms. Reduced we found quince jelly and Turkish delight with smoked almonds, orange oil and olives in brine. Flavours now embraced rosemary, sage and thyme with lavender, wisps of smoke and steamboat soot over rock pools and liquorice. At 9 years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
Kippers and violets - yes, that is Highland Park alright. Creosote and coal dust! Please, sir, may I have some more? I'm quite curious about mushrooms, ginger, star anise, ham, et al.
Back by unpopular demand, here are more bottle names that Highland Park should use: "Oysters in the Air Fryer" ... "Oh Hell, Just Drink This" ... "Medicine* (For Legal Reasons, Not Actual Medicine)" ... "Sven, With Flowers in His Beard" ... "An Elderly Bear Feels Nostalgic" ... "Death=Adder."
This might be my favorite of the three bottles, on paper. Bottled at a nice robust 61% ABV, let's just dive right in:
Nose: Now THIS is peated, and earns the distinction. Wafts of heavyish peat rise from the glass, paired with seafood - cocktail shrimp, buttered lobster. Lemon blossoms mix with licorice. Coal/ash/smoke.
With water: peatier, meatier, and also sweeter - but in a more vanilla way, less honey like the other two bottles. I suspect this bourbon barrel was more active. Hints of olives as well, like the official notes say.
Mouthfeel: The thinnest of the three bottles, but the silkiest and smoothest mouthfeel.
Palate: Sweet vanilla and lemon - almost like lemon pie - mix with moderate smoke and peat and a floral taste. Licorice again. Sauteed mushrooms. Seashells and simple syrup. Quite a nice palate - very very reminiscent of "northernmost islands," for sure.
With water, this opens up in a strange, savory way: olives, ham, and a zillion herbs: oregano, basil, sage, thyme, all dried. Quite interesting.
Finish: Coal smoke, flowers, lemon bars, oak - the oakiest of the three Highland Parks part of this SMWS distillery dive. White pepper. Anise. Complex finish here.
Verdict: This is fascinating - it's the least salty, least briny of the three bottles - it's almost like a mix between Caol Ila and Clynelish. Peaty, lemony, herbal, spicy, and oaky in turns - with an underlying baseline of coal smoke. Quite interesting! Highland Park is capable of some really enticing, engaging flavor, and this proves it. Recommended, especially for those seeking a more Islay-like experience from your Highland/Islands whiskies. The heaviest of the trio.
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