Another 13 year independent bottling from Highland Park from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). This is part of a big revatting project they've been working on for some time now - I think it's at least the fifth or sixth from the same revatting that I've had. And they have all been interesting! Highland Park is a spirit that really does well in the hands of independent bottlers.
Here are the official notes:
Nose: A very dry and leathery nose. Vanilla, heather, and soft herbs, olive oil, salt, very light peat and smoke, notes of chalk. Frankly, the official notes are pretty much right on the money here.
With water: The texture changes completely with water. From chalky this becomes strongly waxy, and a lot of citrus notes emerge. Orange and orange oil, specifically. Maybe lemon candy or even lime soda. Neat, it's coastal; diluted, its a sweeter shoreside expression of the same idea.
Mouthfeel: Oily and coating. Medium body.
Palate: Coastal as all get out. Hot pepper frying in oil; seawater and sand dunes; slight coal or tar notes; a little bit of vanilla sweetness towards the back end.
With water: Follows the diluted nose: wax, orange and orange peel, lime soda, salt, mineral qualities, and smoky herbs.
Finish: Quite a nice finish, actually - soft flowers, soft pepper, wax, and smoke. Gentle, and long-lasting.
Verdict: One of the better of the Highland Park revattings. I am still partial to the bottle they called "By the Beautiful Sea," but this is very similar. It's really kind of amazing how consistent this revatting has been despite the different finishing casks. This has more texture than most Highland Park bottles, and the coastal elements are quite rich indeed. Delicious stuff. Recommended.
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