Highland Park Dark Origins celebrates the early days of Magnus Eunson's illicit distilling on Orkney, back before the distillery was even founded in 1798. Magnus worked as a butcher and church official by day, but by night he was a legendary whisky smuggler and distiller outwitting the exciseman.
To honour their hero (the Batman of the Orkney Islands, if you will), Highland Park created a whisky with a suitably 'dark' character. Using 80% first-fill sherry casks (20% refill) - 60% are first-fill European oak, with 20% being first-fill American oak - an exciting, spicy, chocolatey whisky has been produced.
This bottle was part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed photos just get in touch!
Dusty baking spices and cocoa at first, cinnamon, vanilla, dates. Coffee cream Revels (possibly a couple of the orange ones too), a touch of blackcurrant/liquorice, plus butterscotch and an interplay between milk and dark chocolate.
Sweet, fragrant peat emerges with nutty melted milk chocolate and a little orange alongside some pastries.
Long and sweet, a little dry chocolate, just a hint of that heather smoke, then salivating.
Rounded first-fill Sherry notes come from both the European and American oak casks. This is a great, chocolatey addition of a (teenage) no age statement release.
Very nice Single Malt
Tried this at a tasting last night. Glorious dram! A couple of us were convinced it was a Bunnahabhain. Very surprised to hear it was a Highland Park. Lovely with lots going on! A yummy 9/10. (Although, it did split the room & wasn't to everyone's tastes).
I tried this at Dramboree last month - the story and packaging is great (as usual from Highland Park). I was expecting a dark, bold, rich whisky; however, I found it was a little watery and subdued. Nice, yes, but at £61 a bottle, I'd either spend a little more and go for the 18 year old or spend a lot less and go for the 12.
Hello there! Yes, absolutely. The drams will be available on site later on this afternoon. --The Chaps at Master of Malt
Any chance of this being available in the drinks by the dram option?
