The sixth and final of six samples provided at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn event at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This is a 10 year Highland Park, revatted after 6 years, bottled at a rousing 63.3% ABV.
Here are the official notes:
The aroma for this one was typical and excellent. Heather flowers, aniseed, herbal cough syrup and mineral oils. Also wee touches of beach pebble, hessian and coal tar soap. Coastal and superbly fresh. With water we found acrylics, some emergent sharp smokiness, chalk, beach foam and bonfire embers. In the mouth the peat arrives much more clearly with immediate notes of kiln smoke, malt vinegar, seawater and olives in brine. Some soft heathery peat and olive oil. Reduction brought dried herbs, smouldering beach wood, hot smoked salmon and a sharp tang of seawater. A 6 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.
Despite everyone being five drams deep, this was easily the most popular of the evening. A very unusual Highland Park, it was full of interesting angles and flavors/scents. Here's what I thought:
Nose: Industrial! Motor oil, tar, rope, orchard fruit, rubbery peat, smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium.
Palate: Quite metallic, with floral overtones (blossoms), followed by latex, freshly milled paper, apples, and here my notes degenerate into "What is going on here??". A very unusual lineup of flavors.
Finish: A bit sweeter and less industrial than the palate - flowers and fruits, with smoke and some peat.
Verdict: This bottle was unusually interesting from Highland Park. Lots of the usual light heathery peat, but with tons of metallic and industrial notes laced throughout. Worth exploring, for sure.
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