** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. This is it. This was the best whisky I tasted at the festival. This is what HP should focus on- it was sherry flavors turned up to the max, a great representation of the wood cask notes that’s been missing in some of their recent, NAS Viking-themed releases, etc. The power was turned up here and the juice holds up well against the higher ABV. It was rich and creamy, sweet and smoky- yet powerful. A whisky drinker’s whisky lol. This is easily a 5 star dram and I’m really looking forward to the companion bottle- The Light. It should be a dynamic duo if they took great care like they did here with The Dark. It’s on the pricey side at $260-280, but I think it’s the best stuff to come out of HP since Odin. Find a bottle and buy it. Great stuff. Cheers. This wraps up my Quick Hit recaps from Whiskyfest DC. I’m not sure I’ll attend this event annually because the costs associated with it were just a bit too high. It definitely didn’t live up to my personal hype and wasn’t worth the $345 VIP price point.