Highland Park Magnus

Peat and brine lead the way but make room for some exciting tones. If you're willing to stick with it, you'll find a hint of apple and plum. Stay even longer and you'll reap the rewards of vanilla fudge. The mouth feel is a tad lite. That's not a bad thing, but I do like a bit more chew in a scotch. One need not worry about heat. It hardly makes an appearance. Each sip is incredibly smooth with smoke laced elegantly throughout. That does make up for some of the vanishing on the palate. As the least expensive of any Highland Park, it's still very much Highland Park. It's easy to enjoy, very shareable and a great entry level scotch. The only real flaw with Magnus is that Highland Park 12 Year does everything slightly better for a few bucks more. Still a treat nonetheless. (FWF share #37)