This is the Fire Edition's companion whisky from Highland Park. The Ice Edition came first, back in 2016. It was aged in first fill, ex-bourbon casks for its entire 17 years in existence. It's non-chill filtered, has no coloring added and was bottled at a robust, cask strength of 53.9% ABV. It's light gold and has quick-forming legs in the tasting glass. The packaging is over the top, like the Fire version. A heavy pale, greenish-blue bottle fitting in a natural oak, mountain-shaped case. The nose is the star of the show here: once you get past the fresh oak you are rewarded with a wonderful medley of pineapple and tropical fruits. What seems like smoked plantains also floats around the glass and if you inhale deeply you get some peppery ginger notes right before the powerful ABV takes hold. It's incredibly complex when you find the sweet spot. There's a nice vanilla creaminess upon sipping. Smoky oak embers quickly get seized by the powerful burn at mid-sip. At this point it becomes a drying, hot mess. This is where any resemblance to any other Highland Park whisky disappears. It becomes an American bourbon/rye whiskey clone, IMO. The finish is long and hot. That freshly split and charred oak take over and it isn't until the last gasps of breath reveal the remnants of those tropical fruits I detected on the nose. Once you know how the sip is going to play out, it's really enjoyable. That first sip is quite shocking. Overall, this blows everything you expect from a Highland Park away and starts a new chapter of what they could produce and release regularly. Some won't like this because it's so different. Is it worth the $300 entry fee? No, but I'm happier with this one than I am the Fire Edition. 3.5-3.75 stars. Cheers.