Jose-Massu-Espinel
Highland Park The Dark 17 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed
October 20, 2020 (edited February 2, 2022)
Some days i am just plain happy that one day i learned how to properly taste whisky. This is one of those days. I simply loved this dram, because it felt exactly what i needed. I really had a sample for months without even caring to open it, and boy was i mistaken.
Highland Park the Dark is the counterpart of "The light", both 17yo whiskies. It represents the winter and autumn weathers in Orkney, and it has one of those vikings snakes as a logo. Matured in sherried european oak casks.
Bottled at 52.9%abv, tawny color.
On the nose, it is a complex mixture between Chocolate sweetness, Citrus aromas and mild peatiness. Starts very perfumed, with an amazing chocolate bathed raisins. Prunes, chocolate powder. The heathery peat is dim, but it is there. Chocolate cake. It actually FEELS dark colored; chocolate, dried dark fruits. Lemon, mashmallow. Not very peaty. After the first sip, aroma became peatier and also a caramel note arrived. After the third sip, it just went crazy, all about oranges, caramel and thick chocolate.
On the palate, it is so amazing, you can actually hold it in your mouth for 3 minutes. Starts very winey, with grapes and dried fruits. Peat and smoke in a very mild and pleasant way. Also pepper and sulphuric notes, very well delivered. Prunes.
Aftertaste is all about peat. It is incredibly rewarding. Starts smokey, cigarrettes, very dry from the peat. Earthy, amazingly smokey and peaty. Hidden chocolate exists under the peat.
Overall, when i started writting this review, the whisky had something near 95 points. As i took more sips, it felt even greater. It gave me a nice, complex experience. For a 52.9%abv, no alcohol note is felt, but it gives you enough power to inmidiately feel electricity in your body. It ended with a 98 over 100 score, and it should be 100. It felt like perfection. I will stick to the 98 because of my scoring system, but as an experience, i loved it, and i recommend it. Slàinte Mhath.
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Edit: they restocked their sale offers and got a few more The Dark’s as well. Now it is on the way. Will probably be a while before I open it but I very much am looking forward to it now. But maybe I get weak around Christmas or New Years.
@Jan-Case And missed your update that it's gone already. No surprise there! Congrats on paying off loan :-)
@Jan-Case I'm not a massive fan of their aged stmts, I prefer the special releases so I'd go for Ice/Dark anyday of the week over 18, 21. $170 is very good value. Definite buy at that price.
@Jan-Case well, the whiskies you picked sound fine too! very fine
I sadly was too late to the game. A few hours after me posting this question here it was already sold out. Looks like it is much more popular than I thought it was. Following you guys recommendation rightfully so. Well maybe next time. I instead got a Kilchoman STR red wine cask and two different Arran 21 explorer series bottles. Occasion being the fact that after 11 years I payed off my last student loan a few days ago. But the hunt for The Dark continues.
I'd take this bottle over the 25 on most nights. Not sure it is better whisky but I sure like it more. The 18 isn't even in the conversation.
I would buy it at $170 @Jan-Case . In general, I'd just take the 18 instead, but I think this is worth the $170 and it's nice to get that opportunity to try something unique like this.
@Jan-Case it is different than te 18yo, it feels somehow fancier but not inferior. i think that $170 is a proper price for it, i would buy it
@Jose-Massu-Espinel @Soba45 @ContemplativeFox @dhsilv2 @washeewashee I could get this bottle for 170$ / 145 € at the moment. I never managed to get a sample of it but mostly heard good things. I really like the HP 18y old and new version. They are on my top 20. Now I am wondering how The Dark compares to those and if it is worth paying the additional 50%.
@Jose-Massu-Espinel Yes they are separate. I just bundled them up for comparison purposes. I saw Dark and Light as round 2 :-)
@Soba45 i also loved ice. it was fantastic. i didn't knew it was the same collection. i thought it was light and dark, and fire and ice was another collection
@Jose-Massu-Espinel I loved Ice. That was my favourite of the Ice, Fire, Dark, Light range. They do great stuff HP but sadly a lot of mediocre crap these days and the good stuff ain't cheap. $300USD for the Ice and Dark from memory..
@Jan-Case As @Soba45 says, this is very different from the 18 (though I would have saved the phrase "night and day" for a comparison between The Dark and The Light :P). This has a lot more fruit and chocolate and less of that maritime complexity. They're both excellent, but not alike. I personally prefer the 18, but I suspect that @Jose-Massu-Espinel holds an opposite point of view :)
Glad you liked it! This is my favorite of the HP special releases I've tried :)
@Soba45 actually the heavy peat was found on the aftertaste, and it was sooooo good.
@Jan-Case 18yo is amazing. This Dark expression is maybe to be bought once and sip it every now and then
@Jan-Case Night and day different. This is a much more powerful heavier beast. Vague similarities to Bunnahabhain 18 in my mind