Highland Queen Majesty Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sauternes Cask Finish

Rating: 10/23 This has one of those names that sounds plausible (hey it has "Highland" in it!) for a scotch, but if you've actually had a fair amount of scotch, does not sound anything like the name of a scotch distillery. Where's the "Glen" or the unpronouncable usage of the letter "h" a la Auchriosk or Bruichladdich? I could believe that Ainsley Brae was the name of a distillery, but not this. It sounds like someone in England wanted to pretend they were a scotch distillery for foreign markets. But is this actually any good? N: The nose is pretty bland. I get little bit of floral and herbal notes, as well as a big whiff of alcohol. There's some hay and grain and sulfur, but not much malt. That's about it. It's a pretty light and very forgettable nose. P: So this is a pretty standard but bland scotch, yet it's reasonably viscous and sweet. That's actually a really nice use of the sauternes barrel. It doesn't stand out too much and it enhances the existing character of the dram. It has a nice balance of sweetness with tartness, floral flavor, bitterness, and spice. There's a little sulfur in here, but it's quite minimal. I can actually drink this. I get some nice lemon curd, cinnamon, and ginger. It's a tad harsh, but the spices explain that and it is 46%, unlike most budget scotch. A balanced honey flavor comes through too. It has a more pronounced, but less traditional scotch flavor than BenRiach Heart Of Speyside does with its increased nectar flavor. There is less going on here and also a bit more sulfur, but I wouldn't say that this is far worse. F: The burn really comes through on the finish with more pepper. Otherwise, it's a more mild version of the palate. I wouldn't say that this is very good dram, but for a bottom shelf pick, it does a decent job. It's way better than Ainsley Brae Burgundy, despite "Ainsley Brae" sounding more convincing as the alleged name of a distillery. It isn't super complex and it does taste young, but I did find myself double checking the bottle to see if there was an age statement. I think 12 years is a stretch for this one, but I can see 10 and would definitely have believed 8. It's light and delicate with flavors that are generally not so great, but it's serviceable. At the end of the day, I pick up a sample of this and it tastes like a scotch. It may not be incredibly good or super complex or be totally free of sulfur, but it definitely tastes like a scotch and it' kind of OK. I'm not totally convinced that Highland Queen is better than Ainsley Brae since I can definitely see the Burgundy finish being a huge mistake, but as it stands I'm looking at two scotches, one being both cheaper and better than the other and the other being much more expensive but plagued by a bad finish. The Ainsley Bray Sauternes is not currently available, so I could try the Highland Queen Burgundy, but why invite that (probable) misery into my life? I like this better than Ainsley Brae Burgundy and that's enough for me right now. It's also unbelievable that while Highland Queen has 46% alcohol, Ainsley Brae has only 40%. It seems like for less money you can just get a better and higher proof Highland Queen, so why even consider Ainsley Brae? But on the whole, is Highland Queen worth trying? Well, I'd probably pay up for something better, but if you're looking for a scotch under $20, this would be my pick. If you need the absolute cheapest thing, then a downgrade to Grant's might be in order, but this is definitely substantially better than either that or Sir Edward's 12. This is more in the range of a 10. I'm going with 10 for now. VFM is actually pretty good on this one. But on the whole, is Highland Queen worth trying? Well, I'd probably pay up for something better, but if you're looking for a scotch under $20, this would be my pick. If you need the absolute cheapest thing, then a downgrade to Grant's might be in order, but this is definitely substantially better than either that or Sir Edward's 12. I put this a couple of points ahead of Grant's and 1-2 ahead of Sir Edward's, putting this in the 9-10 range. It's also a slight step down from BenRiach Heart Of Speyside, which I gave an 11. I'm going with 10 for now. VFM is actually pretty good on this one.