Slainte-Mhath
Highland Park 2001 16 Year Single Cask Series (Vintersolsnu)
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed
February 1, 2018 (edited October 21, 2024)
Winter solstice in Norway: the perfect time to pop the cork of this 16-year-old Highland Park, distilled in 2001 and matured in sherry butt #651 (58.8% ABV, 588 bottles). What a marvelous color! Is this the blood of Odin? Dried fruits, roasted coffee and whiffs of peat smoke reach the nose, and there are hints of cloves, Jamón serrano and leather. The taste is intense, sweet and mildly peaty with dark chocolate, mint and a dash of salt. Cocoa, licorice and oak spices migrate into the warming and substantial finish. A great single malt for long and cold nights!
RATING: 4.4/5.0 stars ≙ 90 pts → SUPERB [-]
143.0
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per
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@LeeEvolved you hit the nail on the head with the key words “expensive undertaking “. Maybe that was their strategy
@Reverend45: It should still be possible to get the 'old' classic red bottling of HP18. Grab it while you can!
@Slainte-Mhath & @PBMichiganWolverine - I’m beginning to wonder if this has become some sort of bold experiment by HP: release a bunch of new NAS stuff to tempt the newcomers to spirits, while also now releasing well-aged stuff (Vintner Series 18,26,27, The Dark 17) as a way to pacify the old purists. Or is this all just a way to flood the market? It is becoming a bit of a chore and a bit of an expensive undertaking trying to figure out what’s good and what isn’t worth the money though.
@Slainte-Mhath totally agree...almost two,faces of HP. One f0r mass marketing and other for enthusiasts
Additional comment: I must admit that I have mixed feelings about Highland Park. Some expressions, like this bottle, HP18 and HP25 are simply too good to ignore the distillery, whereas the ongoing trend towards NAS whiskies and fancy 'Viking expressions' becomes increasingly annoying, IMHO.