Name: Highland Park 12 Year Old
Color: Brown
Nose: Citrus, sherry, peat, and wood
Taste: Silky oil, caramel, malt, smoke and peat
Review:
It is interesting how the seasons can affect your mood when it comes to food and drink in NYC. In the summer time, you do not want a beef stroganoff, apple cider, pumpkin latte, or a peaty whisky. The cooler weather is coming soon so your tastes for whisky should be changing to something that warms you up when you come inside from the cold city.
Highland Park 12 is aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks. The exact amount of aging has not been released from the distillery. If I had to guess due to cost of purchasing the casks and the flavor profile, it would be 10 years in bourbon and 2 years in sherry casks. An interesting geographical fact about the distillery is that it is the most Northern distillery in Scotland. Located in the Orkney Islands it is so far north that the peat has a different composition than the southern regions. The north has more trees and seaweeds in peat compared to the south which has more flowers and brush. This difference in detritus gives a different taste to the peat and the flavor profile of the whisky. Highland Park advertises that it is a “Highland whisky with Viking soul”. This is an accurate statement since the Scots are descendants of the Vikings and Norway used to rule the Orkney Islands until the 14th century.
I like this scotch for the flavor and the price. I also like it because it would be a good entry-level whisky if you are interested in trying stronger full bodied scotches (E.g. Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lagavulin). I have learned that if you like medium-bodied whisky’s it can be hard to jump into something too strong, woody, or peaty. You will need a transition whisky to show you the way and Highland Park 12 can do just that.
Price around $65 and well worth the money for a 12-year-old Scotch with this flavor profile.
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
If you like it, drink it!
