AGED WHISKY SHOWDOWN Bowmore 18 Highland Park 19 Dimensions (Duncan Taylor) Balvenie Portwood 21 Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 (Alexander Murray) Continuing to work through bottles in my collection that I’ve yet to review. This grouping is admittedly somewhat incongruous, with Islay (Bowmore), Highland (Highland Park), and two Speysides (Balvenie, Kirkland). The common denominator is the age statements, which range from 18 to 22 years. As with previous “Showdowns,” the point here isn’t to necessarily declare an absolute winner (though one may arise), but rather to experience an interesting comparison and share those results. I’ve arranged these from youngest to oldest. Bowmore 18 Color is second darkest of the group, and virtually identical to the Balvenie 21: clear Pantone 153. Nose shows banana bread, and some mild Islay typicity with light iodine, saline, and gentle peaty smoke. The palate shows the slightest bit of roundness but the fruit drops off and a little white pepper spice kicks in. Something akin to passionfruit begins the medium-length finish, which is then usurped by some light char and smoke, but the overall effect is thin; almost watery. Unfortunately, Bowmore 18 has caramel coloring added. I really have no idea why any distillery would want to do this. It detracts from the overall experience: burning peat to malt the barley is as old-school as Scotch whisky gets. This is an 18-year-old whisky, which cannot be faked: why adulterate the age, tradition, and experience with adding coloring? It boggles the mind. Bowmore 18 can be found for around $150 today. It’s certainly not off-putting, but it’s also not particularly memorable, and the added coloring is for all intents and purposes lying. What is the point? What is there to hide? What is the rationale? Would I buy it again? No: on both a price/value basis and disdain for their coloring practice. 3.0 on the Distiller scale. 43% ABV. Highland Park 19 Dimensions (Duncan Taylor) This whisky is the lightest of the group in color, and appears analogous to Pantone 130. The nose is a bit reticent, begrudgingly offering up apples, honey, apricots, a cool eucalyptus note, and a medicinal quality that is likely ethanol-driven; the effect is not dissimilar to the Hall’s honey-lemon cough-drop aromatics that I get from Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky (reviewed Sep 21, 2023). But then cocoa makes an appearance. The palate turns up the volume considerably on the initial aromatics, and shows some viscosity. The transition from palate to finish brings generous spiciness, coffee, the cocoa again, and very gentle, lingering smoke. The Highland Park 19 Dimensions is a whisky that requires time in order to coax out its complexities. The bottle was a very generous gift from a good friend, so the question is not whether I’d buy it again, but rather if I’d buy it at all. It can be purchased for around $225—if you can find it. I’d put it in the nice-to-have rather than must-have category (with the caveat that there really is no “must” regarding any whisk(e)y in the grand scheme of things). It’s wonderful if you’re price-insensitive, and I’m very grateful to have it. I no longer possess any Highland Park 18, which would be an obvious (and interesting) comparison. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 52.7% ABV. Non-chill filtered. Distilled 6/1999; bottled 6/2018. Cask # 501104; Bottle # 236/352. The light color suggests no added coloring. Balvenie Portwood 21 Clear Pantone 153 in color; indistinguishable from the Bowmore 18. The nose is cautious, and like Carl Sandberg’s “Fog,” comes in on little cat feet, displaying a feline oscillation that wavers between port and deep chocolate—just because it wants to—and adds mocha, sandalwood, and honey. The palate is a slow roll into more chocolate, which nearly conceals the alcohol; there’s no real spice in the transition from palate to finish, which is long and chocolaty. Did I mention chocolate? For me, Balvenie is a traditional benchmark whisky with a modern twist—that twist being the various wood finishes it employs (rum, sherry, port). It combines tradition and modernity in a style that favors tradition in terms of its poise and refinement. It exhibits a confidence that has no need for self-aggrandizement. The Portwood 21 is consistent with that Balvenie ethos. This whisky is not cheap, and can currently be purchased for around $300. Would I buy it again? I paid significantly less when I bought it, but if price were not an issue, the answer is yes (to be clear, I would not buy every whisk(e)y, even with unlimited funds). Balvenie Portwood 21 is wonderfully cerebral, in part because it’s a little monochromatic in its chocolatiness, and it requires some thinking if you want to dissect it. Or, you can just enjoy the chocolate milkshake. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 43% ABV. Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 (Alexander Murray) This whisky is the darkest of the bunch, consistent with the sherry cask finishing; clear Pantone 160. No-doubt sherry nose: toffee, chocolate, dates, strawberry preserves, and dark gingerbread (the bread, not the cookies). Cracker Jack times two. The palate shows wonderful intensity, finishing long and sweet, with chocolate, peanut brittle, and a pleasant touch of sweet café Cubano, with its basso continuo espresso bitterness. Costco is the largest liquor retailer in the world, and as a result has the wherewithal to affix its Kirkland brand to high-quality white-label offerings, as is the case here. Purists may want to turn up their collective noses, but there’s no arguing the value aspect. Who knows how Alexander Murray sourced this? But the fact that it is sourced doesn’t necessarily mean that it didn’t make the cut for whoever the distiller is, and even if that is the case, the point is moot: how many very nice 22-year-old whiskies are you going to find for $80? One. This one. Would I buy it again? I don’t think that this expression is available any longer, but I bought two when I purchased them, and this one is bottle #1. So, yes. Unbelievable value. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 46% ABV. In terms of price, the Kirkland (Costco) stole the show with its 22-year age statement and $80 price tag. The Highland Park and Balvenie bottlings were each wonderful, for different reasons. The Bowmore was demonstrably inferior to the other three—independent of its “islay-ness” (I adore Laphroaig and Lagavullin). I concluded the tasting with one final single taste of each one in quick succession, and confirmed by more lengthy assessments. The Bowmore is unchanged; the Highland Park is by far the most powerful and youthful; the Balvenie is expansive and orgasmic; and the Kirkland is still very, very good. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.