Highland Park Ice Edition

Part two of the “Premium Highland Park samples from Lee” series of reviews. Tonight is the 17 year old Ice Edition, which was released before the Fire Edition I reviewed last night. This single malt from Orkney was matured exclusively in ex bourbon casks without a hint of sherry. Bottled at cask strength of 53.9% ABV, natural color of yellow gold, and even though it’s not stated, it is non chill filtered. ACHTUNG!: Not giving this one time to breathe will result in a model glue note on the nose. Please give it at least 5-10 minutes. The nose starts off soft and floral. Heather honey and honeysuckle. It quickly turns fruity. Starting with apples and pears, but it soon makes a sharp transition into oranges, tangerines, apricots, melon. Then another switch to tropical fruits, pineapple and mango. Some light vanilla and caramel, very light smoke. More smoke than the Fire Edition, but that really isn’t saying much. Bourbon like notes emerge with warm oak, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toffee and light mocha show next. Being cask strength I had to add some water to see what else was hiding. I found that toasted coconut was revealed along with more floral notes and vanilla custard. A somewhat hot arrival on the palate, but with it comes huge amounts of fruits. Mango, papaya, pineapple, grilled apricots, and some oranges. Pepper and a very light smoke, still not on the level I’ve come to expect from HP, but still it’s there. A light salty note, toasted coconut and tangerine. When water is added it really reminded me of Bowmore Gold Reef, just with much less peat. Quite good, but too strong to drink more than an ounce without the addition of water. The mouthfeel is full, oily, thick, mouth coating and a bit dry. The finish is medium long, spicy, fruity and salty-sweet. Much better than the Fire Edition, but still the peat smoke is nowhere near where I would like it. Perhaps it’s just the age of the whisky or the sheer intensity of the fruits overpowering it. The nose does not prepare you for the intensity that is delivered on the palate. Not even close. Personally, I feel cask strength is too much here and taking it down to 48% may have been a better decision. But what do I know? Having seen how pure ex bourbon maturation affects HP, I now know that sherry casks are a necessity. They really add a layer or three of complexity that is lost without them. Like the Fire Edition, this is $300. $200 too much if you ask me. Still, it’s a good scotch and I would take this over the Fire any day. A solid 4. Thanks again @LeeEvolved Cheers

Complex and Smokey, surprisingly enjoyable for how sharp it was

Tasted blind, I'd never have guessed this was a HP. I'd probably think it was a Highlander or Speysider, well aged, but definately bourbon casks. Thanks to my friend Lee, I got to sample this beauty. Toasted corn on the nose, with a slight burn if you whiff it too much. Probably a function of that high ABV. Now on the palette, I get an initial HP DNA, but it quickly disappears into a more bourbon-esque taste. A very different profile for HP. I like this better than the Fire, from what I remember at least. If this was about $150, it's a no brainer. At close to $300, I'm not convinced I'd choose this over the amazing 18 yr old. Thanks Lee for the sample!

This is the Fire Edition's companion whisky from Highland Park. The Ice Edition came first, back in 2016. It was aged in first fill, ex-bourbon casks for its entire 17 years in existence. It's non-chill filtered, has no coloring added and was bottled at a robust, cask strength of 53.9% ABV. It's light gold and has quick-forming legs in the tasting glass. The packaging is over the top, like the Fire version. A heavy pale, greenish-blue bottle fitting in a natural oak, mountain-shaped case. The nose is the star of the show here: once you get past the fresh oak you are rewarded with a wonderful medley of pineapple and tropical fruits. What seems like smoked plantains also floats around the glass and if you inhale deeply you get some peppery ginger notes right before the powerful ABV takes hold. It's incredibly complex when you find the sweet spot. There's a nice vanilla creaminess upon sipping. Smoky oak embers quickly get seized by the powerful burn at mid-sip. At this point it becomes a drying, hot mess. This is where any resemblance to any other Highland Park whisky disappears. It becomes an American bourbon/rye whiskey clone, IMO. The finish is long and hot. That freshly split and charred oak take over and it isn't until the last gasps of breath reveal the remnants of those tropical fruits I detected on the nose. Once you know how the sip is going to play out, it's really enjoyable. That first sip is quite shocking. Overall, this blows everything you expect from a Highland Park away and starts a new chapter of what they could produce and release regularly. Some won't like this because it's so different. Is it worth the $300 entry fee? No, but I'm happier with this one than I am the Fire Edition. 3.5-3.75 stars. Cheers.