The entry level bottling from Scotland's most northerly distillery, Highland Park, aged for 12 years. This is an older design, before the Highland Park range underwent a rebrand in 2017, and another in 2024. A fab find for a retro collection.
These bottles were part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed photos just get in touch!
Tastes quite rich, with a nice peat smoke finish, but not especially distinctive. As a lightly peated malt I'd prefer to drink Ardmore Traditional, or for a heavily peated malt I'd go for Laphroaig. Whereas if I wanted richness I'd look for Glendronach. Highland Park, while pleasant, just fails to carve out something distinctive enough.
It used to be my favourite. Then I became disillusioned, along with others. The year someone gave me a bottle and I was pleasantly surprised. Not what I remember, (but then what is), But pretty bloody good. Great value for money and now is my go to quaffing malt.
Used to be nectar but this bottle is bad whisky. Had read there have been bad and good batches this decade. My suspicions about this Tesco discount bottle were affirmed. Gave it 15 mins to breathe. Suspect nose then shocking arrival of floor polish; bitter and smelly like bad hooch. If there's peat and complexity, they have been killed by an overpowering industrial taint. Lingering, bitter, nasty after-taste, let's call it an 'exceptionally long finish'. It has caused a slight head-ache. UPDATE- after about 30 or 40 mins either it's opened up, or I've had slightly too much. Starting to think again. The 'finish' won't go away- a unique and sickly peat has emerged. You could say the same about Laphroaig- but this is subtler. Going to add 2 more stars than I would have 30 mins ago. It's a completely different whisky from what it was a few years ago. Maybe I need to rethink what whisky can be. It's starting to intrigue me a bit now. Having to work at figuring it out. OK now it's grown on me-- add another star.
I like this better than the 18. In comparison, the tannins are substantially diminished and more smoke is evident in the 12y. The 18 has more complexity but that really doesn't cut it if the taste is questionable (personal opinion/preference ofc). HP makes nice whiskys, but I really don't see what the hype is all about.
Just got a bottle for €29,50. Pleasant, easy to drink. Like an Earl Grey. It won't offend you. A bit watery. The finish lacks depth. This is a bottle you empty with a friend within one evening. I personally seek for whiskey's which tells me a story in my mouth, with a beginning and end. This story is very short. Like we say in dutch, 13 in a dozen like this one. For the price i paid it's ok though.
