Highland Park 18 Year; The Whisky Exchange Black Friday 2018
Whisky : Highland Park 18 Year; The Whisky Exchange Black Friday 2018
Country/Region : Scotland/Islands
ABV : 54.6%
Nose : Maritime citrus and cream— lemonade by the sea shore. Tangerine, lemon, lime, and oranges in a tropical yogurt fruit cup; or a sangria fruit punch paired with a soft cheese. Maritime breeze, a bit of mineral graphite/pencil lead, hint of linseed oil, and a slice of iced lemon pound cake. The wife reckoned the only hint of smoke was from a grill several miles down the beach.
Palate : Medium bodied with the sharp acidity of a lemon wedge pickled in olive brine. Tropical citrus zest, orange oil, pomelo, and dried tangerine roll out with a puckering dryness. Antiseptic notes somewhere between scented cleaning solution or medicinal iodine with a note my wife described as ‘used bandaid.’
Finish : Lingering salt and sweet like the rim of margarita along with hints of old tobacco.
Score : 5
Mental Image : Tropical Citrus Margarita
Something Better : Cragganmore 13Y SMWS 37.81 (similar salt/fruit/margarita, more waxy/oil)
Something Similar : Caol Ila 17Y “Unpeated Style” (limited salt/citrus, more sugars, better mouthfeel)
Something Worse : Glen Elgin 10Y SMWS 85.49 (similar puckering citrus, less finish, more florals)
Notes : This was an interesting one and I am surprised I did not enjoy it more— maritime profile, citrus, maybe a hint of medicinal notes— sounds like a great Caol Ila and something I really dig. Yet, this one leaned a bit too heavy into those tropical citrus notes. While I thought the nose was quite good, the dram itself was just missing something— perhaps some of the creaminess (though that did peak out with the addition of some water) or more likely some of the coal smoke or tar I associate with Highland Park would have rounded this out well.
I think if you are already a fan of Highland Park, this might sit pretty well as a fun riff on the distillery 18 Year. Additionally, if you have enjoyed some of the Caol Ila ‘Unpeated’ Editions, this compliments those pretty well. Or if you almost enjoyed the Laphroaig 10 CS but wished the dram was a bit smoother and with half the medicinal notes. Adding a bit of water to the dram helped cut down the acidity on the palate and reduced some of the astringency, but otherwise did not drown out or mute the palate.
The wife concluded that it was okay, but too subtle, it was not a wow! dram. In her opinion, the antiseptic medicinal notes were too faint— or, in her words, ‘you want to be sucking on the bandaid, not licking it.’
