Tastes

This is my favorite Scotch but the last bottle I purchased was lackluster. Not sure if the older stocks are dwindling or if I just got a blah bottle. I'll let you know the next time I buy a new bottle. Generally this dram is sweet but not cloyingly so and not in a honey vanilla sort of way - it's partially aged in port barrels, so a berry raisin sweetness is more on point. I personally prefer this dram over the sherried Lasanta.

The nose from this whisky is very sweet and makes for a good after dinner dram. Caramel/Creme Brûlée dominates and meshes well with sweet oaky sherry notes. With some time in the glass, I'm also picking up Piña Coloda/Cola notes. There is surprisingly almost no smoke on the nose. One taste of Highland Park and you get a mix of bright green fruits, warm raisins and mellow heathered smoke. There is a long finish of sweet pipe smoke. I would highly recommend this dram to beginners who want to dip their toe in peat. Definitely one of the most balanced whiskies out there. HP very much reminds me of a slightly smoky Balvenie Doublewood.

This is the sweetest malt I've had. This whisky almost borders on being too sweet in fact. It is not amazingly complex, and the bourbon caramel notes are pervasive. If you like the sweetness of Balvenie, give this one a shot. (If you prefer sweetness with more depth than Balvenie, Glenmorangie 18 is worth a try). If you are addicted to smoky Islays only, this is probably not for you.

Needs time and water to open up (up to 10-15 minutes) - nose starts with tart fruit, lemons and pears, and eventually brings malty vanilla caramel not unlike auchentoshan but less sweet. Bright fruit and spice taste mellows with time and malty vanilla increases. In my opinion the floral citrus notes overpower the sweetness at first but then bloom with a touch of water and time. (84)

Nose: caramel covered green apple, banana extract (noses sweeter than taste) Taste: banana cream pie, oak on the tongue, spice comes out, tart fresh fruit Finish: lingering ginger ale with hint of lemon. It's not an incredibly challenging malt but it's sweetness, quiet complexity and long finish make this one of my favorite Speysiders. (89)