Nose: Initially cool from the bottle, the dram really opens up with warming as red licorice turns to smooth anise, soft vanilla, seasoned oak fueling a smoldering story telling campfire. The only explanation that I have for this phenomenom is the use of oak casks and the well known terminology of avoiding the situation of spending "too long in the wood". Actually, I should be thankful for finding this out in my own tatses, because 12 year olds are cheaper tahn 16 year olds. But as I said before, this is a very good whisky by itself. Just try the side by side test and you too may be surprised. Finish: The finish repeated the palate very nicely, with a peppery, warming sensation gradually giving way to the light, fruit based, fresh feeling. Cinnamon and other spices linger in a medium to long, very smooth finish.

The brand with 225 years of history distilled the scotch in 2002, and Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion drew it from hand-chosen casks in 2021. Rigmorole: Thank you so much for the tips on how long my investment will last. At the rate of one ounce per day sipped every single day, I have enough to last a whole year without buying anything else. Suddenly, what I have spent in the last month on all of this does not seem so bad, when I will have to make it last. One thing I can say from being a hard drinking Harley man is that single malts have the absolute lowest penalty the next day, whereas blends do not because of the crap that is added to reduce costs and increase profits. Highland Park 18 has a bit more depth in the smokiness when compared to the 12 year old. It also has very much character and for 18 year old whisky, it's surprisingly sharp, especially in the finish.I had this with a couple of friends yesterday after having some Rum. Which turned out to be a bad idea, I think. Because the scotch tasted very off. Now, it could've been that it needed some time to open up, like some reviewers were mentioning. But it had this burnt rubbery taste at the end that was not pleasant. It was actually pretty difficult to drink. But I did not give up on this scotch.

This sample of the Highland Park 18 smelled and tasted pretty much as I suspected it would. And it was priced very high in the glass for what I got. The nose has opened and broadened. Baked fruits, heathery honey, butter and salt, just a hint of peatiness. And something just a bit sharper, brighter, rising up with the fuming alcohol – salted celery, perhaps? A hint of smoky pineapple? In any case, if a woman smelled like this, I would propose marriage even before opening my eyes to see her! The ABV seems a tad higher to me than the usual 43%, which is curious. Whisky from this bottle does better with a touch of water. I normally have never added water to HP 18 in the past.Try a side-by-side comparative tasting between HP12 and HP18. It's a great way to experience the differences of what a few more years can do to an already good whisky. This edition has been drawn from an 18-year-old refill butt, which is said by Motion to harness notes of “sweet, toasted oak, vanilla fudge ice cream, roasted almonds and violets’’ as “floral peat smoke, cinnamon bark and spiciness” linger afterwards. P: first you get acid and fruity notes, mostly on sherry and dried fruits again. Then a delicious woody taste comes out, together with a gentle smokiness and a very delicate peat. We must say that on the palate it seems to be less sweet than expected judging from the nose, even if a gentle note of honey stands out. This Higland Park tends to dry your mouth towards the finish, and all the flavours tend to exhaust, leaving room to some woodiness and peat that rarely are so harmonious and enjoyable. Highland Park launched its fourth edition of cask strength single malt scotch: Highland Park Cask Strength No. 4 in May in anticipation of the distillery’s 225th anniversary in September. About Highland Park Distillery Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819.