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)