Highland Park Fire Edition

So this was on "fire" sale for 120 and I figured why not. I went in expecting it to suck and well...lets see. Nose - The first impression is that this is very suety and earthy. The "fire" concept isn't out of line at all, this is perhaps the most earthy highland park I can recall, I know I had a few NAS pours where they were as or more peated but still this is coming off more so on the nose. Then there's that port finishing giving way to this dark dark fruit notes that play very well off of the earth character to give you this thought of well kinda lava lol. It's like I'm thinking in my head light purple hues over dark warm earth. So purple it's a bit reddish if you will. Going back I'm starting to get salted meats as well and then I always get a bit of a cooking sheet wax and sugar sweetness off HP's spirit, which I think my buddy mike is saying it white chocolate, I don't agree but I think we're getting that same element. I'm personally not a huge fan but I appreciate where they went here. Taste - Up front I get a lot of sweet and waxy and lightly earthy notes. Plums and dates. Then as it reaches the finish it gets really dirty earthy and funky weird. I could see this has charred oak smoke. Vanilla, chia latte, smoked fish even perhaps and yes some kind of chili powder or other hot peppery note. A really unique series of spices and notes really come through and the whisky is just an ever evolving transition from the start to finish, never staying the same. This all brings me to a difficult score to give as there's a lot here I like and a lot I don't. I however think they really nailed their goal of a "FIRE" edition and in that I have to give some praise while at the same time fully believing most people won't really enjoy this one. As a result the fire is for me a 2.5 out of 5. It's a profile and flavor you can't get elsewhere, it's well executed in terms of their goal, but it's also just weird in ways I don't think others are going to want either. Give I got this 300 MSRP bottles for 120, I'm guessing i'm not alone in my thoughts.

Nose: smoke followed by earthy notes. Sweet in the back. Palate: huh. More peat than smoke in the palate, some spicy-sweet flavors after the smoke disappears.

I was eager to taste this whisky since it came out. The bottle was so beautiful and everyone was talking about it and i finally had the chance of getting my hands on it and it is what the name says: a Fire. Lets talk about the bottle. It is a reddish crimson glass which looks like lava, and it comes in a wooden volcano shaped case. Amazing presentation, that symbolizes "Muspelheim, the glowing Norse fire realm of destruction". It is all about the viking mythology of Ragnarok and rebirth. Amazing. But... is the whisky any good? Well... lets see: Bottled at 45.2%abv, golden - ambar color. This have been entirely matured in refilled port wine casks. On the nose, on the palate, the aftertaste, everything is a volcano. Nose: uncorking gives you a salty - heathery peat right away. Once in the glass, it is warm sand, very sulphuric. Ashes, a scorched field from some war, or a braveheart / Mel Gibson movie. After a while, some lemon or mild citrusness appear. After the first sip, some milk chocolate magical appears. Palate is as hot as it can be. Look at this tasting notes: ashes, pepper, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (not the band), super spicy, slight vanilla and maybe some red fruits, but they are way too undermine by the spiciness. Aftertaste is a Mortal Kombat Fatality for your palate. Wasabi, Chilli and salt... but not off-putting. So... if you look at the notes, it is a fire. It is a volcano. But is it any good? I don't think this is a bad whisky at all, but i am not a spice fan myself, so for me, its a 77 over a 100 and i know some of you will kill me for that score. I know that maybe im punishing its score due to mu own personal taste, buy i got to stay true to my feelings about this whisky and it doesn't have the greatest nose, or a great palate or a great aftertaste. I am not a hardcore fan about port matured whiskies so this might not come as a suprise either. So, its a 77, hope the Ice Edition is better.

Fantastic but not worth the price