Whisky: Highland Park 18 Year (1978), Hart Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 43%

Cask: Oak

Age: 18 Years (Distilled 1978)

Nose: Maritime and citrus, gentle, preserved lemons, clams in white wine, hints of yuzu and cedar wood, subtle chalk and patchouli.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, gentle maritime, preserved citrus, chalk, waterlogged oak, moss, tobacco, pencil shavings, herbal-salty funk.

Finish: Long and lingering with mellow salt, citrus, and herbal funk.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Cafe on the Pier

Narrative & Notes: Gentle and mild, with the aroma came the impression of eating mussels or clams by candlelight along the sea. Chalk, patchouli, and salty air drifted in with preserved lemons and hints of grapefruit, yuzu, and cedar. Medium to light-bodied, the flavor profile was gentle and reserved, with mellow maritime and citrus notes upfront. Lemons and oranges faded while chalk, stone, and waterlogged oak developed. Hints of moss, or occasionally kelp as the salt lingered, emerged on the back end with pencil shavings, tobacco, and a salty-herbal funk. The finish was long and lingered with mellow salt, citrus, and an herbal oaky funk.

Going into this malt, I suspected it would be at least slightly different from modern Highland Park, yet I was surprised at how distinct it felt beyond a common underlying coastal DNA. The aroma was initially familiar, but the more I sat with it, the more I forgot what distillery this was; it had none of the sharper maritime or acrid coal smoke I associate with Highland Park, though the shellfish and citrus were not totally out of line. As the whisky was not cask strength, it was relatively mild-mannered with crisp flavors and a surprisingly long finish. The flavor profile was maritime, but never dominantly so, as citrus and then oaky decay took hold. The mild herbal funk on the finish has not always worked for me on other drams, but here it felt reasonably coherent and increasingly pleasant as I sat with the whisky.

Overall, this was lovely, though I wish it had been a bit punchier and weightier on the palate. I doubt I will be chasing Highland Park from a similar vintage any time soon, so this was a real treat.

Image Credit: Whisky Auctioneer