Scotch Whisky Review #206: Highland Park 15 Year

Distillery: Highland Park

Region: Island

ABV: 43%

Age: 15 Year.

Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry.

Nose: (according to the wife) Kind of sweet and a bit nutty. There’s something that smells remarkably like syrup and waffles. A bit of a peanut butter and banana come along as well.

Palate: It is noticeably very thin. There’s a hint of caramel along with a bit of bitter floral tea. There’s an almost grain-like aspect to this, reminding me a bit of rice water. A bit of very wet peat appears as well.

Finish: Short. It’s slightly earthy with a tinge of apple popping in but doesn’t last long enough to make much out of.

Conclusion: Once again, I find myself scratching my head after trying another Highland Park bottling. I’ve noted in the past that this distillery remains a bit of an enigma for me and this bottling is no exception. The nose is really pleasant and had me excited to dive into it. The whisky, however, is remarkably thin and the flavors are seemingly all over the place. There’s a bit of caramel, a bit of bitter tea, bit of something grainy, and tinge of peat. It’s not quite put together and while perfectly drinkable, I wouldn’t say it’s particularly memorable. Oh well, more Highland Park for others I suppose!

Final Score: 71.

Scotch Whisky Review #206, Island Review #29, Whisky Network Review #288

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.