Review 213: Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010

Review 213

4/18/14

Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010: 46% abv

Background: We’re back at independent bottlings with a 18 year old Highland Park. Highland Park, as a reminder, is an island distillery and holds the title of the most northern distillery in Scotland. They have a pretty loyal fan base, and tend to produce a wide variety of whiskies. This one sat in a sherry butt for 18 long years. Sherry butts are 500 liter vessels, and they tend to be less common than hogsheads. This Signatory bottling still has good presentation, having 46% abv, natural color, and no chill filtration.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off with a good mixture of citrus and grain, with malt being a predominant aroma up front. There is a noticeable peat to the Scotch, with a considerable spiciness in the nose as well. The spice includes nutmeg and gingerbread. There is some vanilla and custard in the nose, with a smooth lemon and orange involved as well. There is some white grape acidity and other light fruits as well. There is some old leather and sawdust aroma, with the addition of light cocoa.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with soft, creamy grain notes, and some definitive citrus notes. The arrival has the smoothness of sweet grain, but doesn’t provide terribly complex flavors.

Body: The body really carries out the citrus, with slight amounts of malt. There is a little bit of agave, with some cinnamon and nutmeg in the body. There is a lot of lemon, lime, and orange in the body.

Finish: The finish introduces some tobacco and peat into it, retaining the malt and citrus notes from the rest of the whisky. There is some custard and spices in the finish as well, which add to the smoky, peaty flavor. There is an introduction of grapefruit in the finish as well. There is a salty coastal character in the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose seems to be essentially the same after adding water. One difference between this and before water is a subtle raison smell that comes through.

Arrival: The arrival is more complex and citrusy than before water.

Body: There is a little more peat flavor in the body, with intense citrus and coastal notes coming to the front much more aggressively.

Finish:  There is some custard and vanilla in the finish, with a large peaty flavor and orange citrus flavors dominating. The finish is still salty and coastal.

Final Comments: This whisky is an interesting one for sure, but it doesn’t deliver on all fronts. Surprisingly, it is worth saying that the cask quality of this particular whisky might be a little under par in comparison to many others we’ve had in the past, especially for an 18 year old Scotch. Although the whisky does exert some mature flavors, and a relatively decent complexity, it doesn’t seem to be competitive with other bottlings from Highland Park or Signatory. That’s not to say this is a bad whisky. It is still an affordable alternative with an interesting personality, and it is not hard to sip and enjoy. 

 

Why you’d buy it: You’re a fan of Highland Park and want to see more dimensions of their whisky.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: Your expectation for a sherried whisky is in the realm of Glendronach

Score:  8.5/10

Review 206: Highland Park Loki 15 Year

Review 206

3/14/14

Highland Park Loki 15 Year: 48.7% abv

Background: This is a pretty special review for the KCM crew here. This is the first time we’re reviewing a truly limited edition bottling, albeit this is limited edition in the sense that there was a bottle of whisky that came before it and one that’ll come after it, and they’ll be presented the same, but they’ll be different…somehow. So you might call this a “vintage release without the vintage”. Highland Park Loki is part of their Valhalla collection. The whisky is at least 15 Years old, and bottled at almost 49%, which is a nice thing considering how much you pay for the whisky. Highland Park spends their time telling you about Loki in Norse mythology and how it relates to the whisky, but I’m not going to do that. What I’ll do is tell you how this is a 15 Year whisky at $275 a bottle. Obviously you’ll be wondering, why would I pay that kind of money for such a young whisky?

Straight

Nose: The Highland Park Loki starts off in the nose with a battle between a huge fruitiness and a coastal saltiness. The fruitiness is consistent of HP classic orange marmalade, citrus, green grapes, blueberry, dark cherry and other tropical fruits like bananas. There is a complex oak and malt, coupled with creamy vanilla and custard. This whisky also brings out spicy notes of chai tea, clove and allspice. The whisky also has a profound, deep floral smell to it. In additional, cinnamon apple contributes to a smell of both spiciness and sweet fruitiness. There is a very green, earthly aroma that presents itself in the nose as well. It is almost a mossy type aroma that comes through.

                           

Arrival: There is a lot of malt in the arrival, along with a tart cherry sweetness. Plenty of oak can be found in the arrival, along with a substantial amount of spiciness. The whisky is pretty coastal in the arrival, with a slight amount of saltiness and tropical fruits as well. There is a lot of spiciness in the arrival, with mild black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and gingerbread coming through.

Body: The body is very strongly herbal, with a  large amount of cilantro and mint coming through, along with an earthy presence as well. There is a strong maltiness, along with green apple, lime citrus, green melon, and body.

Finish: The finish contains the same amount of herbal presence as the rest of the whisky, including the mint and cilantro seen before. There is a lot more of an herbal quality to the finish than in the body. There is also a leathery quality to the whisky in the finish, that would be associated with a much older whisky. The finish is absolutely medicinal, and contains a bitter green tea flavor as well. There is a small amount of malt that fades off with the finish.

With Water

Nose: The herbal and citrus notes are very dominant after adding water. The whisky starts off with a much more potent nose. There is a change of balance, as some of the vanilla sweetness gets lost, and is replaced with an increase in bitter floral notes and coastal saltiness. There is a little bit of graham cracker in the nose as well now.

Arrival: The arrival stills contains some beautiful spiciness, along with some maltiness and herbal notes. The arrival is more mild than before.

Body: The body becomes intensely more herbal than before adding water, with bold flavors. There is also more maltiness, with the sweetness from the whisky becoming more dormant. There is a vanilla wafer flavor that comes through in the body as well now. There is a good amount of woodiness in the body, that bleeds into the finish.

Finish:  The finish is woody, with some old notes of leather and wood polish. It still is hugely herbal. There is a high dominance of woodiness in the finish that seems more prevalent than before adding water.

Final Comments: Wow…this is a whisky which raises the bar. This is complex, balanced, unique, and all around a beautiful statement by Highland Park. The KCM crew believes this whisky has some older whiskies in it by its taste profile, and it contributes to a more mature, complex flavor than you would expect from a 15 Year.  Now, let’s be clear. I’m not going to spend the next few minutes telling you about how this whisky is worth $275, because it really isn’t. The reason it isn’t is because for $200 less you could buy something of marginally worse quality and still have an undoubtedly fantastic whisky. So this bottle is for people who have the money to spend; and if you do, this HP will not disappoint. If you were going to buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, this would be a better alternative and you wouldn’t look like an ass.

 

Why you’d buy it: You have a lot of money and want something you can appreciate and use to decorate your mantle.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You’re like most people and don’t want to spend almost $300 on a consumable bottle of liquid that actually does more to dehydrate you than offer sustenance.

Score:  10/10

Review 187: Highland Park 12 Year

Review 187

12/7/13

Highland Park 12 Year: 43% abv

Background: Highland Park might be one of the most misleading names of Scotch whisky out there. The first thing you can ask is: Where is it from? Well, we know that Scotland is divided into six whisky-producing regions: The Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside, Campbeltown, the Islands, and Islay. With this being said, the obvious answer is that HP is made in the Highlands. You’d be wrong though. Geographically speaking, this is still true, but this whisky is actually distilled on the island of Orkney, making it an Island Scotch. In fact, Highland Park holds the record for being the most northern distillery in Scotland. The only other distillery taking roost in Orkney is Scapa. Highland Park whiskies are known for their complex, beautiful bouquet of flavors and prestigious reputation. This is the standard offering, so let’s see how this one represents the brand.

Straight

Nose: The rich, alcohol-forward nose of this Highland Park is fruity and sweet, with a slight suggestion of a malty profile. There is some vanilla and banana right in the beginning, with some caramel and PX sherry overtones as well. To complement this sweetness is the smell of burnt sugar. Some spiciness is prevalent up front, with nutmeg, cloves, and oakiness on the nose. There is a fresh, crisp lemon to it with some grapefruit to follow, followed by a little bit of sweetened strawberry flavor and mild pear rind. There is a little bit of pecan that also hides in the nose. Finally, there is a layer of vegetal aroma which is quite subtle.

Arrival:  The arrival starts off with a nice blend of smoke, caramel, vanilla, and honey. It is a rich, complex arrival. The fruit flavor is a cranberry and red grapes. There is a substantial maltiness that starts to be introduced as the arrival concludes. There is a little bit of burnt sugar in the arrival that becomes pretty dominant.

Body: There is some nice fruitiness in the body akin to succulent red apples. As a KCM first, we noticed eucalyptus in the finish as a nice herbal note. The maltiness is dominant in the body. The body is still astringent and citrusy, a common characteristic of Highland Park whiskies. The sherry flavor is at its max in the body.

Finish: There is a spearmint like flavor that cools the tongue. The eucalyptus note carries into the finish. Some definite cranberry, red grape, grapefruit and orange citrus flavor can be noticed in the finish. There is a definite amount of peat development in the finish that was not as noticeable earlier. The clove from the nose also makes an epic return in the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose still has a rich sweetness, with more confectionary like sugar smell to it. It has also curbed the burnt sugar smell substantially. The nose is definitely more docile than before. There is brown sugar, and a slightly interesting Catalpa wood present as well. The nose is still very rich, with clove and smoke.

Arrival: The arrival is much thinner than it was before adding water, with a presence of more club soda. There is a slightly floral note in the arrival now as well.

Body: There is a definite note of cocoa in the body. The body is still rich, but has a more crisp, bitterness to it now, with some floral suggestions as well. It is much different than before, and the sherry is much thinner now.

Finish: The cocoa from the body returns in the finish to make a reappearance. There is some confectioner’s sugar, and sugar cookie dough in the finish. There is also a contradicting note of salt. The vanilla is very dominant in the finish as well

Final Comments: Highland Park is a revered whisky brand around the world, having a legendary ring to the name. This practical bottling of Highland Park really starts to show us why. The nose has a great blend of different flavors. There is a substantial amount of the sweetness to the taste, but it is not over-dominant in one area. The complexity and uniqueness of this whisky is above its class in all ways. Without a doubt, Highland Park has made it hard to look towards other brands for a solid all-round whisky. That being said, this whisky does not compete with the likes of Glengoyne, Glen Grant, Old Pulteney, and other malt-forward bourbon casked whiskies. This is a highly recommended whisky for the casual whisky enthusiast, although it might be a little too much for the whisky novice.

 

Why you’d buy it: You know what good tastes like, and the complexity of this whisky is too alluring to miss.

Why you wouldn’t: You are intimidated by bold flavors.

Score: 9.5/10

Review 173: Isle of Jura 10 Yr

Review 173

8/19/13

Isle of Jura 10 Year: 43% abv

Background: Isle of Jura is a single malt Scotch whisky off the…well…the isle of Jura, to be frank. Jura is not the most climactic of all places when you put it in perspective, netting at 142 square miles of land with one road, one pub, one distillery, and a population of 188 people. You could say then, that the people of Jura are probably pretty well familiar with each other. Despite my seemingly scathing remarks of Jura, pictures show it to be a fairly gorgeous island, not unlike most of Scotland’s landscape. How about the distillery, though? The good people of Jura had self-entitlement to distil liquor until 1781, where authorities decided that they needed a license. In 1810, Jura distillery was founded. At some point, the distillery was mothballed, only to be rebuilt in 1960. Currently, Whyte and Mackay own Jura. Jura yields a yearly capacity of about 2.2M liters a year, produced by 4 tall stills. This particular whisky is their 10 Year offering, netting 43% abv and what looks to be natural coloring. This particular Scotch has been a mystery for me for as long as I’ve owned it, because I can’t seem to place my finger on whether or not I like it. Today I do a formal review.

Straight

Nose:  The nose, on immediate visitation, relays flavors of both citrusy white wine and some amount of corn and light grain. This nose gives the impression that the whisky is fairly young, with a light, fresh smell to it. There is a slight hint of maltiness in the nose, but it is overwhelmed by misplaced smells of other grains. There isn’t a strong sense of woodiness dominant on the nose (with exception to the odd sawdust smell that you get if you spend enough time with it), but there is a consistent nuttiness that comes through. If you dig deep enough, there is almost a slight hint of sherry to it, but it smells coincidental, not intentional. There is a subtle seaweed/sea salt type implication to the whisky, but it doesn’t come through like your Old Pulteney’s would. Overall, it is a mellow nose with some interesting flavors, but it is flat and shallow flavors that come through. There is not a lot of intensity to the nose.

Arrival: The arrival starts off sweet, making it seem as if there was some play from a sherry cask that might not have been assumed before. There is a hint of maltiness, caramel, and then with enough time, some salt and pepper that burns through. There is a sweet vanilla that contradicts a sense of saltiness, with some mixed berries and orange marmalade to accompany the flavor. There is a sense of tartness that comes through, akin to sweet lemon candy flavor.  The arrival is bold and complex, and certainly a respectable entrance into this whisky.

Body: This is where you might start losing the familiarity of single malt Scotch. There is not maltiness to be found in the body. There is a strong sense of salty nuttiness that is very prevalent (maybe almonds). The body is not very climactic, which can be common after a big arrival, and especially leading into this finish. There is some sense of corn that comes through in the body, almost reminiscent of soft bourbon flavor.

           

Finish: There is a confusing mixture of flavors coming out of the finish, most unfortunate of which is the sense of burnt wood that reminds me a lot of the Dalmore 12 we just tried. The corn-like grain flavor persists into the finish, with somewhat of a fluoride-like aftertaste that acts as the last flavor standing. Other than that and some light citrus flavors, with the small hint of sherry coming through, Jura falls flat in the finish. I don’t think this finish is what it could be, and with such a promising arrival, it’s disappointing to see it come to this conclusion. The finish is short and what lasts is bitter and strained. We are still waiting to see how water may help make this whisky better.

With Water

Nose: After letting this Scotch marry with some water for a few minutes, you will find in the nose that the barley starts to come through more. There are still very similar notes as before, but some confectionary subtleties start to emerge as well. There is a slight pear-like scent that can be found, as well as a small amount of green tea smell.

Arrival: The arrival, after water, is smooth and sweet, with similar flavors as before. The sherry, mixed with some lime tartness, is a prevalent sweet and sour combo up front, with some herbal notes later on.

Body: The herbal, grassy flavors bleed into the body, presenting it with a little more character than before. All the same, the body is still pretty subtle and short, just dying off from the arrival.

           

Finish: The finish has not been salvaged from the addition of water. There is still bitterness to be found in the finish. It also comes across as slightly vegetal. The slight burnt flavor seems to reside quite a bit in this instance, and there is a bit more malt richness to carry through, but it seems compromised by an almost plastic-like flavor. This is just not hitting the right way.

Final Comments: I would like to start by saying I have nothing against the Isle of Jura or its people (all 188 of you). I think the fact that they have a distillery to represent them is excellent, and Jura does have some great representation in terms of bottlings. Personally, I am not a fan of the 10 Year, and I don’t want to drink more of it. It is unique, it has a nice arrival, and it has some complexities to it. I would recommend trying this, for anybody who wants to learn more about single malt Scotch, but I have a bottle of it that I’m not too keen on killing off. That being said, I will continue to do experiments with this bottle and learn more about it. Bottom line, this is not on the top of my purchase list, and as a casual drinker, I wouldn’t put it on the top of yours either.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like trying new things, even if you’re told not to

Why you wouldn’t: You listen to the advice in my reviews (poor judgment call, if you ask me)

Score: 7.0/10