Highland Park Wings of the Eagle 16 Year

Nose: Sweet orange, vanilla, sherry, apricot and a subtle hint of smoke in the background. There are touches of cinnamon, nutmeg and honeysuckle and as it rests and gains body, soft wood and leather notes arise. A lovely Highland Park nose with a fleeting smoke presence and a simple but refined character. Palate: Sweet and gentle arrival centred on honey-drizzled slices of grilled orange, apricot and peach. It gains excellent spice tones as it develops with sweeter and heavier flavours emerging - caramel, grape jelly, red berry jam and mild ginger chunks in syrup. The texture is buttery, slightly oily and very satisfying. Finish: Medium/long. Warm and gradually transitioning to a drier character with delicate oak, smoke and salt notes. There is a subtle chocolate aftertaste that lingers. A mild-mannered dram, very pleasant to drink but lacking a little in complexity when compared to the 15 year old from a few years back (in the pre-Viking livery bottles). The sherry presence is muted here while the bourbon cask influence is particularly apparent. This has good body and texture, and its maturity shows through in the well integrated profile. It has a completeness and good balance, but I can’t escape the feeling that overall it presents more like a 12 year old whisky than a 16 year old. This is the 2nd of 6 Highland Parks I’m tasting today, and in comparison to the “Spirit of the Bear” I tasted first this has more depth and authority, but is otherwise surprisingly similar. It’s certainly a better whisky, but is it worth paying 50% more? Let’s just say I immediately bought a bottle of Spirit of the Bear, but as good as it is I’m probably not ordering this one. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Nose: Orange zest, chocolate, raspberries, baking spices, vanilla, syrup, tobacco, hay, meaty sulfur and light smoke. Palate: Somewhat syrupy with honey, berries, raisins, vanilla, toffee, light amounts of chocolate covered orange candies, peat, baking spices, nuts and oak. Finish: Medium length with chocolate, vanilla, toffee and baking spices. Interesting, enjoyable whiskey. I would buy a bottle if I could find it at retail. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample!

Bigger burn on the nose than other Highland Parks I’ve tried.Smooth at the beginning but then the burn comes. A few drops of water brings out the sweetness and spices.

Light smoke. Sweet, a bit of fruity notes. It’s nice, but for this price I’ll get one of the classic Islay malts because it’s not as rich as them IMO.

Rating: 17/23 N: Uh, oh. I'm getting a bit of meaty alcohol. Moving past that, I pick up some sweet spices and wood that make me think of a scotch aged in a fresh bourbon barrel. Vanilla. Some dry grass and smoke eventually come through, but this is not a super complex nose and that meatiness even makes it a bit off-putting. P: Much spicier than Highland Park 12! What initially hits me strikes me as an extra bourbon barrel finishing. Wait. this is called "Wings of the Eagle"...is that actually a reference to the USA and some extra bourbon barrel finishing? Well, if it is or isn't, it certainly tastes like that. I get cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove. Vanilla. It's rich and full. There's a really interesting balance here between regular Highland Park complexity and new scotch distillery finishing young with a fresh barrel (I'm looking at you, Glenglassaugh). Beyond the spices, there is definitely some rich and bitter smoke with enough of an herbal reference to suggest peat. I also get some of that usual Highland Park apricot sweetness, though not nearly as much as in the mainline releases. I really have to dig for the maritime flavor. This is smooth and the alcohol doesn't show through. The fresh cask finish probably is covering up some maturity though. Despite the spices, this release is way smoother than Highland Park 12. It's almost silky. Crucially, that sulphur from the Highland Park 12 is not present here! F: Sweet, rich, full. That bourbon barrel character is the main thing I'm getting, the usual Highland Park smoke and maritime hints do make it through a bit. - Conclusion - I'm not sure whether I like the general premise of this flavor profile better than the basic Highland Park 12 profile, but the lack of that sulphur punch makes this a lot better. This tastes more mature and balanced than The Shin 10 (15), but less complex. I'm inclined to give this the win because the complexity is fine here and it does a very good job with its core flavors. In terms of balance and complexity, this compares favorably with Nikka From The Barrel. This is a little rougher, but more complex and interesting. Does this beat Johnnie Walker Green (17)? Probably not. Eh, they're pretty competitive. The Johnnie Walker is smoother with more of a mellowed, subtle complexity. This has more opinions, spice, and burn. It's a tough call. I'll consider a 16 or 17 for this with the slight possibility that I underrated it in comparison to the Johnnie Walker and it's actually an 18. I think I'm going with the 17 because I found this to be very competitive with both Nikka From The Barrel and Johnnie Walker Green. That said, Johnnie Walker Green is a great value. This costs about twice as much, so it's hard to recommend this considering the price gap unless you're looking to fill a gap in your library that needs a reasonably mature scotch with a fresh bourbon barrel finish.

By now, I have been lucky enough to sample some expressions of the Highland Park family. The label of this 16-year-old whisky claims that it is uncoloured, but does not indicate whether it is chill filtered or not. Nose - The nose has many layers and has elements that are usually found in a bourbon. It contains notes of brown sugar, vanilla pods, forest honey, salted butter, sherry, and in the background the slightest bit of peat. Palate - The palate is rich and full of flavour, without being overpowering. The main flavours are salty and spicy, with a distinct malt note. Finish - Like a gentle sea breeze, with notes of sea salt, apple cider and cinnamon. The aftertaste is medium-long and sweet. A very unique whisky, with many of the characteristics of a typical Talisker. A whisky that will definitely end up on my wish list. Not quite at the top, but not at the bottom either. "Enjoyable" : 3.75 stars | Well above average.