Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 1

The Highland Park Cask Strength is a much-welcome addition to their core lineup. Sitting at a formidable 63.3% ABV, this is a heck of a way to kick off what is hopefully a long-lasting series. Nose: Vanilla custard, butterscotch, and caramel. Apple, pear, apricot, golden raisin, and toffee. Background plum. A floral note. Milk chocolate. Dried apricot and cranberry. The faintest note of brine and sea salt. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Powerful spice. Palate: Caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, and butterscotch. Plum, raisin, cranberry, date, fig, and prune. Cola. Sherry casking is evident. Some honeydew. Soapy brine and sea salt. Chestnut and toasted almond. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Finish: Plum, cola, raisin, and red grape. Dried apricot and cranberry. Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and vanilla. More of that cinnamon, white pepper, and oak. Long finish. Good first effort. My first impression was that this one was a bit disjointed and had the brashness that I enjoy without the complexity. Turns out it just needed some time to breathe. 4/5. $120 is steep for an NAS whisky, but the cask strength status makes up for that. This is a nice wrinkle in the HP portfolio. I’m looking forward to trying future releases. Solid first effort.

Mild sweet peat and apricots nose. Inviting sweetness. Woodsy, barley sugar, stone fruits, laced in highland peat. Mouth coating. Medium finish. Very nice dram.

BLIND TASTING Nose: aberlour, Balvenie, hints of Sherry, malty Taste: cask strength, spicy, peanut butter, cherry, akin to aberlour abunadh. Speyside. Full bodied. A bit of water opens it up and pick up a slight note of iodine with some creaminess. Potentially highland park.