Apart from one last exclusive Australian release I have arrived at the end of these HP tastings. This afternoon I pour The Dark, counterpart to The Light. As for the Light, Dark has an age statement of 17 years, beautiful packaging, and a seemingly outrageous price of AUD$399.99. The Light was good and showcased some core elements of HP beautifully, but it lacked some character to be on par with the 18 at AUD$250. The Dark according to HPs marketing gurus “celebrates autumn and winter in Orkney – a time to escape from wild weather outside and gather with friends and family, sharing long nights of conversation and laughter around the fire”. It’s 40 degrees celsius today so no fire, and I refuse to share. This is my darkness. N: Thickly decadent and oozing opulence. This is a syrupy to oily nose that spaced with cherry and fruitcake, cake batter, nuttiness (walnuts, pecans?), cocoa and orange rind, cinnamon and nutmeg spices and of course peat. The peat here is HP, sure, but reimagined. The peat goes to a legitimately deeper and darker place, still with the presence of florals and softness but now somehow damper and ashier with a more ember rich feel, and with a little Chrismtas tree pine to boot (same as in the Eagle 16); as if it really is a cold dark winter outside. Honestly, I forgot that it is a brilliant furnace outside. I am almost 20 minutes into this nose and I don’t want to leave. I have also stopped trying to think about what is here, it keeps unraveling, dragging me in, and rearranging itself; so freaking good. P: Full, thick, velvety, and a direct follow on from the nose. Decadence again. Woah. Cherry and raisin, mulled red fruit, spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove (I think?), creamy and bitter mocha. There is wonderful textural changes of tannic dryness in places and juicy richness in others. The more you dwell the more there is to find; barrel toast and malted cereal, perfumed wood, lovely hints of pepper, floral-pine brightness, orange or lemon rind. Oh lets not leave out the ever present unifying thread of peat smoke delicate medicinal notes, florals, and beach bonfire. F: Long. The bonfire becomes slightly ashy, sherry fades and wood tannins become drying and peppery. Hidden under the dry exit is a delicate chocolaty creaminess. I believe the Light was matured in ex American oak sherry refill casks. The sherry presence was all but missing in the Light. Here in the Dark the barrels were all sherry seasoned first fill European casks, and what a difference that makes. A beautiful depth of colour instantly contrasts the pale straw colour of the Light. The Light really is light in comparison. The depths of richness and indulgent character in Dark were not mucking about. Everything is brilliant. This is whisky that would reach out and drown you in its darkness if it could. Damn, the execution of this cask strength offering are so en point that there is no abrasive roughness to the high ABV (so much so that I forgot to add a drop of water along the way). Seamless in its integration the dram keeps on giving. Every sip seemingly the same, yet different. Couple this excellent whisky making with its captivating and transportive nature; the ability to pull me into a little bothy hunkered down against a bracing Orkney winter when its really an inferno outside; and I am left unable to fault this brilliant dram. [Pictured here with this drams viking themed rock a eclogite facies metafelsite from Fjørtoft, More Og Romsdal, Norway. This rock is packed with pink garnet, white quartz, and blue kyanite and represents the subduction of very low density granitic crust into the very dense mantle to a depth of about 150 km. It’s also filled with micro diamonds and kind of goes against everything we know about the our planets geodynamics as it shouldn’t be possible to subduct granites to this depth; a remarkable rock for a remarkable dram] ⁣ Distiller whisky taste #142 HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25 The Dark: 5