Tastes

46%, Non chill filtered with colouring. Nose: apple, orchard fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg and a faint wiff of smoke. Palate: Baked apple desert (something like apple pie or an apple Danish with a touch of lemon juice) large amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, fall spices and a touch of ginger. Finish: medium short with a vanilla fudge and a subtle clean whisp of smoke.   I’ve had this bottle for almost 8 months now, given the time to breath it has changed from what me and the wife described as “fall in a bottle” to something more autumn desert. At first opening this was more, fresh red apple and or apple cider with heaps of cinnamon and a subtle bit of smoke, something that would pair well with a day’s outing apple picking on a cold fall day. Now, it offers a wonderful baked apple pastry with various strong spices, the fudginess that was completely undetectable at first emerges from the smoke that once hid it. This is a straightforward whisky that does everything the label says, quality is there with just the right amount of play to make it stand out. I have thoroughly enjoyed this one, to the point that I bought a second bottle before finishing the first. Price point I think Loch Lomond has done a good job of producing a quality mid range, age statement whisky at an affordable price, paired with how well it goes with the season I would say this could be a hit.

Natural Cask Strength - 64.3%, non chill filtered and natural colour. Nose: wood char, sweat floral peal ( this is what I would picture if I was burning brush that had a large amount of wild flowers) and butterscotch pudding. Palate: raisins, nuts and a dark chocolate cakey feel. Finish: short and slightly alcoholic. With Water: Nose: sweet butterscotch, honey and sugar coated orange soft candies. Palate: orange zest, honey and a slight dark chocolate bitterness. Finish: medium to med long more orange zest and rind followed by a faint sweet peat smoke….that trademark honey heather. This cask strength HP is intense and layered. This needs a generous amount of water to open up from its closed off self, I find myself using 1-3 teaspoons depending on the mood. Each time I sit down with this I wonder why Highland Park decides to neuter its core line, they clearly can make a whisky. Originally, after having this bottle, I was considering making a statement along the lines of “I most likely will never buy anything else but the HP 12 and the CS releases”. But after sitting on that, I’m inclined to say I would only buy these un restrained versions. I purchased this bottle in the states for 100 USD and thats a good deal for this, I can’t justify there other prices after having this. Lovely whisky if you like Highland Parks profile, but find the core line a bit thin or weak.

Natural Cask Strength - 56.2%, non chill filtered and natural colour. Nose: lime, fruit and honey. Palate: coconut, almonds, vanilla, oak and pineapple. Finish: medium with spices, vanilla and cinnamon. With Water: Nose: much more fruits, pineapple, tropical fruits and rich apples. Palate: apples, spices, vanilla, tropical fruits and bubblegum. Finish: medium-long with cinnamon and fresh cherries. This is a lovely dram from Arran it’s been aged 7 years in ex bourbon casks, followed by 2 more in quarter casks. It’s good with or without water, but I find the water really opens this up. Value for money is excellent with this being 5-10$ more than the 10 year old. This may be an unpopular opinion, I like the Arran 10 year old but find it to be lacking something for my taste. This quarter cask brings all the same flavours as the 10 year old but “turns them up to 11” which gets rid of any feelings of lacking I may have had. This and the Arran port casks might just end up as my go to Arrans.

44%, chill filtered and natural colour. Nose: light peat, heather, butter scotch, crème burlee and pineapple. Palate: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon and the famous HP honey heather peat. Finish: medium short with a hint of lemon zest, spices and mellow smoke. This Highland Park isn’t your typical HP, it’s lighter and less Christmas cake. It’s sweet with medium body and much more of a vanilla sponge type of HP. This is a good whisky, but it isn’t a great one. Like a self sabotaging star athlete Highland Park likes to hold itself back. The bottle of Cask Strength, batch 4 that I have next to this is a much better whisky at less cost. Speaking of price, this 15 year old is slightly more then double the cost of the 12 year old Highland Park, which I think offers much more in terms of value then this one. While I think this bottle is good, I don’t think the “juice is worth the squeeze” in this one due to how expensive it is.

46%, Non chill filtered and natural coloured. Nose: Lemon zest, freshly sliced pears, oak and white wine. Palate: Fresh Pears, cream, honey and barley sugar that gives way to digestive cookie breadiness. Finish: medium long to long that tastes of oak and spice. Ben Nevis is one of my favourite distilleries for a reason and the coire leis doesn’t disappoint. The typical Ben Nevis oily, creamy and waxiness is present, but is somewhat restrained compared to the 10 year old. The white wine nose is very fitting as the natural colour of this whisky shares a resemblance. I very much enjoyed the light creamy pear notes, coupled with the youthy bite of this approachable and easy drinker. The barley sugar sweetness brought back memories of eating raw sugar straight off the production line with my grandfather and father. If this was more readily available in North America, I would default to this as a spring and summer sipper in a heart beat.

48%, non chill Filtered with added colour Nose: Medicinal Peat smoke, leather, a strong sweet bacon smell, reminds me of bacon sitting for a bit in maple syrup as you eat pancakes. Palate: straight away maple bacon need I say more, woody sweet dark chocolate pieces mixed with dried fruit. Finish: medium finish with a lingering sweetness and peat smoke. Thick and oily mouth feel with an auburn golden red colour. I tried this side by side against the Laphroaig Lore. Both are lovely smokey whiskies, similar but different. The Lore was more refined and less in your face, with less sweetness then the sherry finish. The Lore had more of a bitter salty chocolate feel while the Sherry Oak is more in your face, its still a softer Laphroaig in my opinion. Meaty maple bacon and sweet smoky chocolate are a common theme love both and if I had to choose the Sherry oak being more then 100$ less would be my choice, I can see this one being a battle of ones individual tastes and how much their bank account can handle.

48%, Non-chill Filtered with added colour Nose: Smoke, Ashy, Seaweed, Sea Salt Mist and dark Salty Chocolate. Palate: A tamed medicinal Laphroaig peat smoke that turns ashy with bitter chocolate. Finish: a short drying finish that with a long lingering salted dark chocolate sweetness. Dark Golden colour, Oily and thick mouth feel. Tried it side by side with the Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Cask. Both where lovely smokey whiskies, similar but different. Lore is more refined and less in your face, it has less sweetness and more bitter salty chocolate while the Sherry Oak is more in your face, but is still a softer Laphroaig then what I’m used to on the bourbon side. Meaty maple bacon and sweet smoky chocolate are a common theme with these. I love both and if I had to choose one, the Sherry oak being more then 100$ less would be my choice, I can see this one being a battle of ones individual tastes and how much their bank account can handle.

43% ABV(North American Market) Chill Filtered and no added colour. Med-Medium Light body Light amber N: Honey, orange peel reminds me of Mandarin oranges, light peat P: honeyed heather into mid sweet oranges, silky mouthfeel and a touch of sweet smoke creeps up at the end. F: medium ,mouthwatering with slight of peat smoked orange rind finish A balanced whiskey with sweet, spicy notes and just a touch of smoke. Always a favourite, if I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for or if I’m with a friend just beginning to venture into peated whiskey. A staple for me as long as the price stays down.

Strong acetone taste, not reccomend and won’t be buying again.

Great rye for the price point, great mixer that can be drank neat aswell. Will buy again.