Highland Park
Scotland
Single Malt
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.
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seriously good stuff at this price point. sweet oloroso influence and just enough HP smoke to make it interesting. Don't buy the anti-NAS hype, or the anti-Viking marketing hype (which I agree is stupid) . . . just drink the whisky. still available in places for around $70-ish U.S.
This is my first experience with HP. Got the bottle as a birthday gift. This is a somewhat heavy whisky which will be perfect for moments of relaxation and reflection. In the glass: Nice amber colour. The smell of sherry og a tad of alcohol is first to hit the nose. Then sweet, ripe fruits and cocoa/dark sugar. Left to breathe, the sherry and alcohol wears off a bit and give more room for the fruitier sweetness. In the mouth: Fat, oily and sweet with a mild hint of smoke outlining a surprising combo of cocoa and citrus fruit. Oh - and sugars -soooo dark sugars carried by a well integrated alcohol. The finish is medium long. It carries the smokiness with the alcohol for a wee while but is then taken over by the sherry. This one just has a lot going on and a lot to offer. I do see it getting bad reviews from some. If this is a bad HP, then the good ones must truly bed mighty.
I could taste this one last night, really liked it. The nose is great, it is very sweet and welcoming on the palate, very enjoyable. It is quiet similar to the Amrut Peated, which is more fruity and complex, but has the same kind of flavour and dry finish.
Smoke and Sherry with a lot of Chocolate and oranges. A good whisky. Underrated.
Complex, bold and very unique. Highly underrated.
