ctbeck11
Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 1
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed
October 10, 2020 (edited April 29, 2021)
Nose - pineapple, tangerine, lemon zest, vanilla bean, floral notes, honey, mild peat, peach, green apple, mushroom, tar, nutmeg, high ethanol burn.
Taste - honey, tangerine, green apple, citrus zest, creamy vanilla, peach tea, floral notes, caramel, toffee, pineapple, mild peat, mushroom, nutmeg, baking spice, high alcohol bite, finishing long and with deep citrus (almost like biting into a lemon rind) and toffee notes.
I was very excited to pick this up so early after the release. This begs for a bit of water to be added to open up the nose and flavors, as it’s very concentrated and closed off right from the bottle.
Overall, I think this is a decent, but disappointing HP cask strength introduction into the American market. Unfortunately, the mushroom notes are a bit unwelcome, and it slightly misses the mark for me.
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@WhiskeyLonghorn Having tried both, I don’t think it’s worth the price increase over the standard 12 year, unless you’re a proof snob or a Highland Park fanboy. If I could go back in time, I don’t think I’d purchase the bottle. That said, if you’re interested in swapping samples, I’d be happy to package one up and send over my inventory spreadsheet.
Wow, when it's safe to travel again, I'd better take a trip to Missouri @Spamin76 ;)
@Spamin76 damn that’s a good price. It’s about $90 here. Not sure it’s worth it at that price...12 year is only $40 and pretty tasty...
@WhiskeyLonghorn I got a bottle in Missouri today for $73. Don't know how prices look in TX, but Missouri tends to have great prices on spirits. I do like this, but if it starts to creep north of $100, you'd be better off paying for the 18.
Good lord @WhiskeyLonghorn for 60 bucks you can get a UK bottle and then spend another 40 to ship it BY ITSELF to your door (as collectable glassware).
@SpartaTodd thank you for that info! I will check that out now!
@WhiskeyLonghorn I saw a reddit on the specs price and it was a mistake. They marked it down to the correct price which was like around $80. Check again.
As much as I enjoy CS offerings, the prices charged for them are so often completely excessive @WhiskeyLonghorn
@WhiskeyLonghorn Yes, it’s absolutely not worth $165. Virginia has it for $90, which is still high for what you get. It’s definitely not flying off the shelves here.
@Jayroe65 I saw it at Specs yesterday for $165. Seems like silly money for a NAS CS release. The 18 costs less than that...
@Jayroe65 I’m in Virginia. Maybe one of the few times living in a control state has worked in my favor.
Where are you located? I am in Texas and have not seen it on shelves yet.
@ctbeck11 I know exactly what you mean! Corralejo Reposado always hits me with this weird mushroom flavor that is mentioned in the Distiller tasting (but downplayed). I occasionally get it elsewhere, but it's pretty rare.
@ContemplativeFox Could be. It had a fungal note that I have only tasted in some tequilas, most notably Corralejo Reposado. The review was also based on a neck pour, so maybe it’ll open up a bit with time and oxidation.
Sounds like they might have released it a bit too young for it to have mushroom notes?