Highland Park Wings of the Eagle 16 Year

A new expression from this amazing distillery, this time a 16 yo whisky that sells itself as "Gentle". I don't know if i want any "gentleness" on a Highland Park which is one of my favorite peated whiskies. This one has been matured in European sherry seasoned oak casks and american white oak casks. Bottled at 44.5%abv, not as dark colored as you would expect from a 16yo. On the nose i liked it a lot. Very complex here. Orange, Very perfumed, Heather peat, perfumed moss, lemon pie, very gentle and light. Lemon cream meringue, Tangerine, Impalpable sugar, Earthy peat and Milk powder. Lots of things happening here. On the palate it just doesn't deliver the promise you got on the nose, without been a bad whisky. Brown sugar, Molasses; Very light and gentle; Pepper spice. Very fruity like bitting some fresh mango or a tropical fruit that has gone a little old. Aftertaste brings the experience up again, with Ashes, earthy peat, Bitter oranges. Long finish with a slight saltiness on it. Overall this seems a little unbalanced, but manages to be a good whisky. It could be better, and for $106 you can certainly have a better option. 85 over 100.

Nose: Yup, this is Highland Park alright. Their signature Heather-honey sweetness with orange fruits at the back that I've come to expect from their 12 year standard is found lingering with barrel spice notes that I can only compare with Glengoyne's bourbon barrel influence. Translation: Highland Park's rich mid tones are given an extra high tone sparkle with this inclusion, which I can only guess is from their 'sherry-seasoned' oak casks. The medley isn't disjointed either, as they perfectly come together to make this an intriguing HP dram Palate: More of the same from the nose. Heather sweetness develops into an elegant barrel spice that reminds me again of Glengoyne's lemon pastry effect. A gentle smoke comes through, but only barely. Finish: A mouth puckering, drying sensation with notes of cocoa - as if I had swallowed cocoa powder beforehand. Lovely. As far as travel retail exclusives go, I really like this one. A bit hefty of the price tag (USD 105 from Dubai International Airport) but if you're into Highland Park and into collecting, go for this one.

Smooth. I am a fan of sherry overall, and it is more prominent here than in Highland park 12. But I feel like it overtakes the smoke and peat and looses Highland Park identity with it. Overall a great drink, but my palate is completely "ruined" by the kinds of Ardbeg, Ledaig, Laphroaig and Talisker now

Chocolate on the nose. Nice Smokey vanilla notes. Smooth finish.