There will be a time when marketing schools will offer a class called "Don't be Highland Park". A brand that has exceptional respect among whisky drinkers, but seems hell bent on ruining their brand equity with what can only be seen as the worst marketing perhaps ever. Highland Park The Dark takes this to all time extremes, offering a highly sherried whisky in a black opaque bottle, throwing it in an expensive yet cheaply finished "wooden" display box, throwing a CHEAP black bag over it, and then putting some god awful horrible looking snake or something on the bottle...ok honestly I don't even know that I've looked at the thing on the bottle, it's just too stupid. Then the best part is they mention "only" 28,000 bottles as if we're supposed to see that this is mass produced and think "oh it's rare". No...28,000 bottles that retail for about 300 USD aren't rare and will ultimately be sold at a discount (which is why I am bringing this to you, I didn't pay 300). OK marketing aside, heavily sherried highland park is one of my favorite things out there. I'm a fan boy and while I don't believe this is CS, it's over 50% which is another win. I'd also assume non chill filtered and natural color. I'd try and find out but the only information on this bottle from HP is on this packet in the box where I'm only assuming a summer intern wrote it up and then had an 8 year old proof read and frankly I'm not going back through the incoherent ramblings to see if they mentioned it. My incoherent ramblings here are free! Nose - I let this one sit out for about 40 minutes to let it open up and it's really changed from my first few nosings. When I have nosed this in the past it was sweet and to the point I thought a more dessert/waxy type wine cask was used. Now I do get distinct sherry notes though I'm not sure what kind (and I don't believe we know more than European oak casks). I wouldn't be surprised to hear PX, but I hesitate for one reason. This isn't a classic HP malt back, this is dark and charcoal smoke influenced. There isn't a touch of HP peat here but a good couple of a dashes of a very assertive peat. It's almost off putting at first but quickly becomes the highlight of this one. The sweetness seems to generally win out on what dominates the nose but that smoke back there is different and it's playing with everything. I can't compare it really to any other peat out there and I like that. Sweet and dirty charcoal smoke, if that doesn't scream scotch lovers scotch nose I don't know what does. Taste - when i first poured this a friend commented that my eyes watered. I was in bliss with the depths of complexity. I'm no less excited by this one today. A classic aged but not OLD sherry influenced malt opens this one up, sweet, almost bubble gum like, very PXy to me (watch this be oloros). Then the whisky takes on transitions and depth. Tannins give way cinnamon that bites, then burnt smoked meat, and charcoal, and next day grill notes come out. This all explodes in richness, power, and depth. HP often is a good mix of sweet and peat, but this different. This is sweet THEN peat and both have been turned up to 11. I can totally see drinking this on a bitter cold night outside by a campfire and it just taking me to a special place and frankly I can't think of a better dram for that having had this. The peat here I can't stress enough is just charcoal and smoke, not earthy clay, not medicinal, just charcoal smoke and perhaps complemented by some hot cinnamon (this isn't red hots cinnamon). Overall for me the spice levels and bite on the finish are a bit more than I find truly enjoyable. I know I raved on and on about it and for good reason. It's both a unique experience and truly special. I just you know, would rather get to explore and enjoy that sweet sherry with a bit more classic HP malt/peat. That said I also can't stop going back to this glass. 4.25 a completely wow level whisky and if you can get this at a discount, get it. At 300, lets be real, those stores are going to discount or you can ask for one. That said it's well worth the 300, it's a unique experience and a really good one. There's still plenty of it to go around and I expect these will still be on shelves in a few years.