Highland Park 21 Year

Faintly peated compared to the distillery's younger counterparts, but by no means a mellow dram. It boasts a full body, robust wood notes (cigar box) and combination of dried and fresh tropical fruit. Nicely balanced overall with an exceptionally long finish.

I don't know if this justifies the $400 CAD price point, but here's a testament to this whisky's craftmanship: you can have someone poor you a dram, 10 feet away, and I swear your will smell its wonderful bouquet! From start to finish it's an accomplished scotch WITHOUT BURN (forget those who say otherwise - they simply can't distinguish between burn and the higher ABV's naturally anasthesizing effect on the tongue). The nose is simple yet solid, like a 4 piece band rather than an orchestra, with hints of plum, raisins, caramel, peat and some salt. The palate remind you that it has aged in sherry, with a really wonderful syrupy quality to the body. The finish is... it doesn't finish. Your mouth is enveloped with an aftertaste of dried fruits for minutes on end (in my case nearly 17 minutes). This one's for the ages!