Nose: An excellently subtle amalgam of honey, sherry and mild sooty smoke. Vanilla and sherry oak cask in the background but neither is too forward, the sweet top notes being allowed to sing without interruption. Dried fruits, malt and a dash of orange liqueur that grows in intensity over time. Fragrant, heady floral tones. This is lovely – I could nose it all day and it just gets better with time. Palate: Sweet, full and rich on the arrival with notes of old orange liqueur, cherries and well-controlled preserved ginger in syrup. Luscious, decadent but elegant. Honey, barley sugar, vanilla nougat, chocolate, butterscotch and sherry balanced by a touch of peat, salt and pepper. The texture is creamy, enveloping and mouth-watering. Finish: Medium. Rich malt, a little smoke and brine, and orange nectar fading into a milk chocolate aftertaste. A lovely whisky. Excellently balanced, complete and very, very satisfying. It’s a while since I tasted an old Highland Park. Silly me. So, is this as good as previous expressions of the 18 year old – that’s the obvious question. Well, yes – pretty much. I’m going from memory and my old tasting notes here, but IMHO it is very close and although the profile has changed it has not lost quality. I don’t believe there was any change of the blending recipe for this single malt when the bottle design changed, and any detectable differences are just down to batch-drift and changes in cask supply. I think it used to have a more obvious and sophisticated sherry component but that has been replaced by a succulent orange-centred fruit character which is very compelling, and I have no complaints. Tasted from a 30ml sample. Bottle ordered (it is worth the money and still one of my favourite whiskies for that desert island). “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)