WMBH Bottling Company Highland Park Tasting Notes

WMBH Bottling Company Orkney Special Reserve 25 year old 46%

Bourbon Cask 7896/ Tasted: Nov 2003

One of the original whisky scam bottlings. A 25 year old Highland Park for £29.99 plus £5.35 postage and packaging must go down as the bargain of the century! Even if it’s completely rubbish!

A wonderfully mellow nose. One to take in and admire. Heathery sweet cherry fruit, balanced bourbon oak, a touch of peat and a mere whiff of the coast.

Stunning smooth and mature on the palate. Opening with gentle oak followed by honeyed, heather and peat. Accented by distant sea notes. Not the most complex of drams but delightful nevertheless and pleasantly long.

Scott’s Selection Highland Park Tasting Notes

Scott’s Selection Highland Park 1989 (23 year old) 51.4%

Bourbon Cask 10502/ Dist: 1989 Btl: May 2012/ Tasted: Jul 2012

The nose has a stunning depth of luscious, sub-tropical fruit – apricot. kiwi, lime and cereal all coated in a wonderfully light golden syrup. Broad and unctuous, this is a sublime nose! With time some creamy oak emerges along with a light floral note and some herbaceous character. With water the aromas become incredibly succulent, the tropical fruit aromas have been turned up to 11. Very complex with some juicy orange and hints of thyme now. Stunning stuff!

The palate opens with the gently, softy tropical fruit mingling with the creamy oak and gentle, powdery spices. The oak takes on a delightful crème caramel character towards the middle, but the alcohol adroitly balances all that richness. A drop of water unfortunately only emphasises the oak. Very long with some salty, citrus notes. Water just emphasises the oak, just like the palate. Conclusion: A stunning malt neat, so there really is no need for water. It really seems timeless!

Malts of Scotland Highland Park Tasting Notes

Malts of Scotland Highland Park 1998 (14 Year Old) 57.4%

Sherry Hogshead MoS12058/ Dist: Mar 1998 Btl: Nov 2012/ Tasted: Jul 2012

A big, clean, coffee’d Oloroso sherry nose. Slightly balsamic with hints of manure and dried fruit, but the balsamic note increases in intensity. Eventually it becomes a little perfumed with some slight duty spice appearing.

The palate is quite tannic but some pleasantly soft dark treacle and Oloroso dried fruit offsets. Very clean with a developing coffee along with some balsamic and salty notes. Quite long, dry and tannic with some mouth-watering dried fruit and violets. In conclusion: A clean sherry monster, sans distillery character!

Malts of Scotland ‘Amazing Cask’ Highland Park 1986 (26 year old) 54.1%

Bourbon Hogshead MoS12052/ Dist: Jun 1986 Btl: Sept 2012/ Tasted: Jul 2012

An intense and very natural nose with plenty of grainy, lightly coffee’d American oak notes. However some beautiful honeyed apricot, tangerine and thick cut orange marmalade balances the oak rather well. Full and rounded with a developing herbal nuance. Water makes the citrus notes incredibly juicy and emphasises the herbal notes.

Again the palate is very intense with earthy apricot, light banana and edgy barley. Very fleshy but quite woody in a grainy, tannic way. Water softens and emphasises the honey and citrus. Still fairly tannic but those notes are relegated to the background now. Long and herbal with hints of white liquorice and finishing with a coastal flourish. Water, again emphasises the woody notes. In conclusion: Yes it’s a little grainy and woody but it has a fabulous natural character and vibrancy.

Edinburgh Whisky Ltd Highland Park Tasting Notes

Edinburgh Whisky Ltd ‘Library Collection’ Highland Park 2000 (15 year old) 46%

First Fill Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: Mar 2000 Btl: Jun 2015/ Tasted: Nov 2015

OMG! Seriously perfumed and fruity, like a Sauvignon/ Viognier cross on the nose. Hugely estery with pineapple and fresh wood shavings. Settles down with time to show a touch of barley and toffee but still very perfumed.

The palate is more restrained but the estery, grassy exotic fruit barrels through. A little more barley, but the fruit and vanilla explodes all over the place! The finish is a  little short and exceedingly bitter as the oak grips hard, but at the end there is no subduing that fruit. Bananay after-taste. In conclusion: Smell like a tarts handbag (as my old chap would say!) An impressive spirit but far too perfumed for more than one glass.

Carn Mor Highland Park Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Whitlaw (Highland Park) 2014 (7 year old) 47.5%

STR cask finish/ Dist: 2014 Btl: 2022/ Tasted: Feb 2022

The nose is quite rich and malty with hints of red fruit, chocolaty tannin, salt and smoke, Clean and slightly aromatic with a touch of bubblegummy raspberry.

The palate opens with plenty of slightly syrupy raspberry and hints of chocolaty tannin. Moves into malt, smoke and wood spice with some earthy peat developing on the middle along with some gritty tannin. Good length with a fruity, spicy and malty finish.

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Highland Park 1995 (22 year old) 54%

Sherry Hogshead 2476/ Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Apr 2018/ Tasted: May 2018

A very dusty and spicy nose with sweet sun dried raisins, prune and hints of rose petal, subtle creamy vanilla and sweet apricot and apple. Quite fragrant, but there is a slightly mustiness to the spice notes.

The palate is dusty and again slightly musty with more sherried dried fruit, pepper, sweet peat and slightly bitter tannins. Very dry and tannic middle with malt, treacle, spice, earth, treacle and dark chocolate in the finish. Personally I don’t think it’s worth the £245 price tag.

Carn Mor Black Gold Series Highland Park 1995 (20 year old) 54%

Sherry Hogshead 2475/ Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Aug 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015

The aromas are pretty tannic and gritty but softened by some luscious dark treacle. The dried fruit notes are very Armagnac-esque with prune, berries, raisin and dried citrus rind. Gritty smoke and French coffee notes appear with time. Yes, it’s very heavy on the sherry but there is plenty going on here!

Quite subtly smoked on the palate with the tannins appearing lighter and softer than the nose would lead you to believe. Again it displays an Armagnac-esque rancio with a touch of treacle. It continues in a softy tannic way on the middle but the coastal laced treacle notes balance superbly. Finally the spirit breaks through on the finish with plenty of mature barley, parma violets, French coffee and smoke. Now that’s a damn good sherry cask!

Cadenhead’s Highland Park Tasting Notes

Cadenhead ‘Small Batch’ Highland Park 1988 (25 Years Old) 55.7%

Sherry Butt/ Dist: 1988 Btl: July 2013/ Tasted: 2013

A huge blast of raw Oloroso sherry on the nose. Raw tannins, raw dried fruit with hints of dark chocolate and some cardboard peat for good measure! Water makes no change, maybe it’s more vegetal now

The palate is raw, herbal and vegetal with plenty of chocolate and drying sherrywood tannins. Mouth puckeringly dry, bitter and tannic! Water softens it thankfully and brings out hints of prune, sultana and liquorice, but it also brings out a light sulphur blemish too! The finish is hammed by the tannins, but quite nutty and herbal. Water makes it green and sulphur stained. In conclusion: A raw sherry monster, dry and bitter neat, but sulphured when diluted.

Edition Spirits Highland Park Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Highland Park 1997 (18 year old) 56.7%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0119/ HL12009

Dist: 1997 Btl: Nov 2015/ Tasted: Dec 2015

A superb nose of dusty peat, sweet barley and malt with a touch of balsamic baked apple, pomegranate and juicy vanilla. Lovely depth and complexity with a judicious sprinkling of duty spice.

The palate opens with sweet barley and toffee with some lightly bittering wood spice adding a counterpoint. Gently sooty peat on the middle but the oak is beginning to dominate. Intensely alcoholic and citric finish, which halts the oak and allows the lovely earthy peat, sweet peat and smoked meat notes to come through on the finish.

Carn Mor Highland Park Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Black Gold Series Highland Park 1995 (20 year old) 54%

Sherry Hogshead 2475/ Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Aug 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015

The aromas are pretty tannic and gritty but softened by some luscious dark treacle. The dried fruit notes are very Armagnac-esque with prune, berries, raisin and dried citrus rind. Gritty smoke and French coffee notes appear with time. Yes, it’s very heavy on the sherry but there is plenty going on here!

Quite subtly smoked on the palate with the tannins appearing lighter and softer than the nose would lead you to believe. Again it displays an Armagnac-esque rancio with a touch of treacle. It continues in a softy tannic way on the middle but the coastal laced treacle notes balance superbly. Finally the spirit breaks through on the finish with plenty of mature barley, parma violets, French coffee and smoke. Now that’s a damn good sherry cask!

Hunter Laing Highland Park Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Highland Park 1996 (17 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2358/ HL10313

Dist: Sept 1996 Btl: Feb 2014/ Tasted: Mar 2014

A lightly oiled but very dusty nose of sweet barley, sweet honey, apple and vanilla. There is a touch of smoke and granulated sugar and with time some burnt caramel notes.

The palate opens lightly milky with barley, apple and white fruit. That burnt caramel note comes through on the middle, flattening it somewhat. Reasonable length with the sweet honey emerging and a hint of salt emerging.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Highland Park 1995 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2387/ HL10586

Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Jun 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014

A big, juicy, maturing nose of tropical apple, apricot, banana and kiwi. Stunning clarity with hints of earth and a delicate thread of peat. It moves into lightly stewed fruit and herbs with time and a touch of salinity appears. If only all Highland Park was this good!

The palate is juicy and malty with slabs of light treacle coated fruit. A touch of tannin and chocolaty spice comes through on the middle along with some vanilla and playful smoke. It does begin to dry a little on the finish but the smoke and lightly peppery spices counter. Very long with a lovely citrus, parma violet and sea salt after-taste.

Cadenhead’s Highland Park Tasting Notes

William Cadenhead Highland Park 25 Years Old 55.7%

Tasted: Oct 2013

Nose: A huge blast of raw Oloroso sherry. Raw tannins, raw dried fruit with hints of dark chocolate and some cardboard peat for good measure! Water makes no change, maybe it’s more vegetal now.

Palate: Raw, herbal and vegetal with plenty of chocolate and drying sherrywood tannins. Mouth puckeringly dry, bitter and tannic! Water softens it thankfully and brings out hints of prune, sultana and liquorice, but it also brings out a light sulphur blemish too!

Finish: Hammed by the tannins, but quite nutty and herbal. Water makes it green and sulphur stained.

Conclusion: A raw sherry monster, dry and bitter neat, but sulphured when diluted.