Highland Park 16 Year (2005), SMWS 4.304 “A proper summer dram”
Whisky: Highland Park 16 Year (2005), SMWS 4.304 “A proper summer dram”
Country/Region: Scotland/Islands
ABV: 58.3%
Cask: Bourbon Hogshead (14Y), First Fill STR PX Barrique
Age: 16 Years (Distilled 18 Jan. 2005)
Nose: Grill seafood, smoldering charcoal, caramelized eel sauce, burning pine, salt, lemon grass, dried hay, very coastal with subtle fruit.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, dried grass, tobacco, fried curry leaves, peppercorns, li hing mui, muddled mint, orange, salted lemon peel, sweet chili sauce over prawns.
Finish: Long with sweet chili prawns and coastal salt.
Score: 6-7
Mental Image: Outdoor Hawker Dining Experience
Narrative & Notes: The sizzling fat and sweet glaze of unagi over smoldering charcoals wafted out of the glass first with burning pine and a coastal sea breeze. An herbal undercurrent offered dried autumn hay, mint, and lemon grass. Medium to full-bodied, the palate presented curing tobacco leaves, dried grass, peppercorns, and fried curry leaves. The bright herbal bit of fried curry leaves continued with tangy li hing mui, salted pickled plum powder, and muddled mint. Orange and salted lemon peels pulled the profile toward fruits as a sweet tangy chili sauce coalesced with grilled prawns and melted butter. The finish was long and sweet with chili prawns and coastal salt.
I am a bit split on this whisky— I loved the fried curry leaf note, something I have only encountered a few times before on older Laphroaig or lightly peated Amrut. I was also a fan of the salted pickled plum and sweet chili sauce that developed on the palate and ultimately left this feeling very little like any Highland Park I had had before. I was less thrilled with the overall sweetness of the whisky, which was tuned a few notches beyond what I prefer and the flavor profile was a touch simplistic, even if the malt played those notes nicely.
Overall, I think the question of how much you love a good STR PX finish with a touch of peat really determines the likelihood of whether this will be a home run. I am a bit lukewarm on the proposition and typically prefer casks such as this with a much heavier peat— something robust enough to really stand up to the cask. This Highland Park did not wilt and disappear, but did not quite rise to the occasion.
