Highland Park Magnus

Interesting orange-vanilla aroma. Smooth, somewhat sweet palate with playful peat and somewhat spicy aftertaste. Not a particularly complex scotch, but interesting and good

Time to start working through my sample stores in an effort to clear out my cabinet, much like our friend @Soba45 . Starting with this bottle, expect sample reviews for about the next two weeks. This one is a NAS that looks like it was aged in bourbon barrels, and there's a lot of lovely heather peat smoke on the nose. A lovely Highland Park calling card. Beneath that it's fruity: Apples, pears, etc. It's slightly astringent, but not that much at 40%. It enters soft on the palate. The malt really shines on this one, with a puff of smoke enveloping it all, with a surprisingly long finish! It's a bit one-note, but I find myself liking this more than Highland Park 12 year. Plus a regular bottle has an affordable price tag. This could be a great introduction to someone looking to get into peaty scotch without the Islay 1-2 punch. Good stuff!

It's peaty enough to be beloved by smoky scotch connisuers. And the rich vanilla flavor is present throughout. It's got an excellent balance of flavor. I am a fan of this. Will absolutely buy it again. Highland Park has yet to disappoint. And for what I've seen to be their most affordable option, I actually might prefer this bottle to some of the others.

Very solid pour. It is maybe the best bottle that I’ve had to introduce someone to peat. I really enjoy it but I don’t know if I want a bottle except to introduce people to a certain style. Every flavor comes off muted but they are there. I think Islays have ruined me... Nose: ashy smoke with citrus, somewhat floral. Palate: gives subtle flavors of peat and sweetness. I get a lot of vanilla and a lemon finish, but every flavor is subtle. Finish: medium short with slightly peaty flavors.

The nose is enticing with plenty of fruit and some smoke. The flavor though - Immediate stale bread D: For Highland Park, the flavor is surprisingly weak, with fruit making up the bulk of the flavor aside from the gross bread. It doesn't taste like much and definitely tastes young. This is not a whiskey worth sipping. There are several flavors in here, but they are across the board and not of high quality. It's all kind of generic and it doesn't vary over the course of the sip. There are vanilla and some citrus notes mixed with smoke and of course stale bread. Not much in the way of toffee is present, though there might be some mild red fruit in the background.