Newcomers Whisky Club June 23, 2012 Going Orkney a Tasting of Highland Park Whiskies
HIGHLAND PARK DISTILLERY Menu The MacPhail s Collection from Highland Park Distillery Independent Bottling by Gordon & MacPhail, 8 years old, 40% Distillery Bottling, 12 years old, 43% Distillery Bottling, 15 years old, 43% Distillery Bottling, 18 years old, 43% Signatory Vintage, Highland Park Independent Bottling, 20 years old, 46% Distilled 12.05.1991, Bottled 7.7.2011 Cask 15084, Bottle 42 of 727 Highland Park Distillery Holm Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SU web - www.highlandpark.co.uk Highland Park's story Highland Park is Scotland's most northerly distillery. It is located on the main road between the Orkney Island s capital of Kirkwall and the small town of Holm. The distillery's location gives the whisky produced there some unique characteristics. The first factor is that the water used in production is from a local spring and is extremely hard. Most distilleries are based close to soft water sources, which is said to be the best style of water for distilling. The second is that the peat on the Orkneys is different to that found in the rest of Scotland. There are very few trees on the islands, so the peat does not contain any tree roots but is instead made up of mostly decomposed and compacted heather plants. This means that when the Orkney peat is used to fire the kilns and stop the germination of the malted barley, it burns for less time and with a more floral fragrance than elsewhere. The first version of the Highland Park distillery was built and started operating in 1798. Taking its name from the High Park spring, this is still its water source. It was run by an interesting character called Magnus Eunson. He was a priest who dabbled in some serious illegal distillation on the side and even used to hide his whisky from the authorities in the vaults of his church! Eunson deliberately positioned his illicit distillery on the main smuggling road on the island, in order to help distribute his wares. This was helped by the fact that Orkney's capital of Kirkwall was one of the smuggling capitals in the north of Scotland at that time. Due to its remote location, Orkney was very difficult for the authorities and excise men to get to. They did finally catch up with him in 1813 but he escaped prosecution in a way that added to the suspicious nature of the distillery's early history. His prosecuting officer, John Robertson, agreed to let Eunson go free as long as Eunson sold him the distillery and all the surrounding farmland! Following the parliamentary excise act of 1823, the distillery got a license to distil and was immediately expanded. By the 1850s Highland Park had built a credible reputation and was releasing a limited range of single malts and supplying some of
the biggest whisky houses in Scotland with whisky for their popular blends. These included Ballantines, Chivas and Dewars. In 1895, James Grant from Glenlivet distillery bought Highland Park and expanded the distillery and doubled its capacity. The current capacity is 2.5 million and current owners, the Edrington group, are pushing Highland Park single malt sales towards the world top 10 with the hope of establishing and keeping it there. They also use Highland Park in their two popular blends, the Famous Grouse (one of the best selling blends in the UK) and Cutty Sark (one of the best selling export blended whiskies). Highland Park also boasts one of the most visited and best distillery visitor centres in Scotland and has been awarded the prestigious five star visitor attraction award by Visit Scotland for five years running. The MacPhail s Collection from Highland Park Distillery Independent Bottling by Gordon & MacPhail, 8 years old, 40% Located in the north-east of Scotland in the heart of the world famous whisky producing region of Speyside, Gordon & MacPhail is an independent family owned and managed firm which has been bottling Single Malt Whiskies for over 116 years. From its humble beginnings as a retailer, Gordon and MacPhail has grown to become a diverse and dynamic company with a number of different business interests. Today the company is a retailer, wholesaler, exporter, bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky and distiller, owning Benromach Distillery in Forres. Gordon and MacPhail bottles over 300 expressions of single malt Scotch Whisky from distilleries throughout Scotland. Our long established relationships with distillery owners throughout the country allows us to send our oak casks to the majority of Scotland s working distilleries to be filled with new make spirit, which then mature for many years at the distillery of origin or in our bonded warehouses in Elgin. The oak casks are carefully stowed and regularly checked until they finally achieve our highest quality standards. Only then are they bottled and presented for sale. Our philosophy for maturing, selecting, and bottling ensures that we strive to produce the highest quality whiskies. Our filling policy allows us to specially select casks to complement the unique character of whisky we fill into them. Our sherry casks are made in Spain, seasoned for a number of years and finally when they are ready, are brought to Scotland. We source ex-bourbon casks from selected distilleries in Kentucky, and other specialist wine casks from throughout the world. Loving care in every aspect of bringing our products to market ensures that every bottle carrying the G&M mark is simply as good as it can be. Nose: Furniture polish. Waxy and quite perfumed. Kumquat, honey, malt, bracken, tea and honey. Palate: Soft, gentle and creamy. Light smoke. Floral with apricot jam and light fruit. Soft-centred sweetness. Finish: Tickle of smoke. Fresh. Comment: All you expect from this always classy performer. (Broom 82: www.whiskymag.com) The nose is surprisingly rich with notes of waxy honey, leather and zest. Hints of the coast creep in with malty barley sweetness and floral honey. The palate is very woody and peppery with an intense body of seaweed and whirls of smoke with a creamy mouth feel and notes of soft over ripe fruits and plenty of wood. The finish is long and crisp with a tangy spice and gentle smoke. (www.masterofmalt.com)
Distillery Bottling 12 years old, 43% The first proprietary bottling of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky was as a 12 year old in 1979. It remains the core expression of the Highland Park range and is a smooth, balanced single malt, with a rich full flavour and a gentle smoky finish. TASTING NOTES Appearance: Glowing amber. Nose: Heather-honey sweetness; peaty smokiness. Palate: Rounded smoky sweetness; full malt delivery. Finish: Teasing, heathery, subtle smoke. Delicious. Take your time to appreciate the nose of Highland Park 12 and you ll discover the characteristic honey sweetness followed by fruit maybe pineapple, apple or pear. On the palate it is drying and leaves a gentle smoky feeling and a flavour that just keeps on going. Miscellaneous reviews: The colour is golden and the nose is very promising. There is a gorgeous mix of dried fruits (sultanas and candied peel, I think), some sweet malted barley, a distinct floral note (imagine heather) which are all underpinned with a subtle fragrant smokiness that is different from the stronger, heavier smoke that you get with most Islay malts (this reminded me of a bonfire). On the palate, this is smooth and silky with a honey-like sweetness joining the malted barley from the nose. It is creamy with some vanilla, something spicy and woody (think of nutmeg) and a hint of saltiness. Again, this great marriage of flavours is complimented perfectly by a heathery smokiness. The finish is long, elegant, smoky and very smooth. This well regarded whisky is a real winner with a perfect balance between all the characteristics. (whiskyforeveryone.blogspot.com) Nose: Smoky, "garden fire" sweetness. Heathery, malty, a hint of sherry. Body: Medium, exceptionally smooth. Palate: Succulent. Smoky dryness, heather-honey sweetness, and maltiness. Finish: teasing, heathery, delicious. (Jackson) Nose: Sherry first, deepening into woodier and smokier notes after a few seconds. Soft start, growing more complex and powerful over time. Smooth and sweet. Toffee / Honey. More smoky after a while. Deep finish, sweet and dry at the same time. (www.maltmadness.com)
Distillery Bottling 15 years old, 43% First released as a UK exclusive in 2003 and now globally available, Highland Park 15 is a fabulously smooth, easy to drink single malt with a luxuriously light floral flavour and a gentle smoky finish. Highland Park 15 Year Old has a remarkably complex nose with notes of camphor, peat and citrus fruits and flowers. The drying sensation on the finish leaves a rich smoky feeling and the immediate desire to refill your glass. TASTING NOTES Appearance: Full golden, clear and bright. Nose: Aromatic smokiness with a hint of camphor. Palate: Rich, initially sweet developing into a dry smokiness. Finish: Rich, long medium sweet then medium dry Miscellaneous reviews: Nose: Light peat smoke gives a perfume to a sweet nose: tablet, Demerara sugar, dried fruits (mango as well as grape). Water makes it more phenolic. Palate: Hot with sweet treacle, black banana, raisin, firm oak and that delicate smoke. Very sweet and honeyed. Finish: Gentle, long. Good balance. Comment: Balanced, as whiskies of this age should be but just too sweet for this palate. (Broom 77: www.whiskymag.com) Nose: Thick and sweet. Botrytis. Squashed apricot, over-ripe pear. Toasted almond, beech nut. Body: Chewy. Palate: Great balance between caramelized fruit, honey, and heathery smoke. Mouth-filling. Fudge. Malt. Finish: Molasses toffee. (Jackson) Highland Park 15 Year Old is an exceptionally fine whisky that builds on the world-class reputation already enjoyed by the 12 Year Old, added to which the rich, mature oak makes a truly smooth and satisfying malt. Colour: Full golden, clear and bright. Bouquet: Aromatic smokiness with a hint of camphor. Palate: Rich, initially sweet developing into a dry smokiness. Finish: Rich, long medium sweet then medium dry. Highland Park 15 Year Old has a remarkably complex nose with notes of camphor, peat and citrus fruits and flowers. The drying sensation on the finish leaves a rich smoky feeling and the immediate desire to refill your glass. (www.whisky.com)
Highland Park Distillery Bottling 18 years old, 43% First released in 1997, Highland Park immediately found favour with whisky writers and enthusiasts all over the world. It is a perfectly balanced single malt with a toffee sweetness and a mouthwateringly smoky finish. It was awarded the ultimate accolade in 2005 and again in 2009, when US spirits writer F. Paul Pacult named it "Best Spirit in the World". He states; "After 25 years' experience, it fits my profile of what makes a perfect whisky, which is to say it's totally in harmony, there are no rough edges and everything is melded together brilliantly." The nose of Highland Park 18 Year Old displays characteristic toffee sweetness and an almond nuttiness reminiscent of marzipan. The finish is a prolonged, full, smoky aftertaste. TASTING NOTES APPEARANCE: Natural colour; burnished gold, clear and bright. Nose: Rich mature oak; top note of aromatic smoke. Palate: Rich, full flavour; honey and peat. Finish: Soft, round and long. Miscellaneous reviews: There is a reason this one sits in so many Top 5 or Top 10 lists. This is unmistakably Highland Park and uncontestably smooth and sophisticated. If you weren t a believer based on Highland Park s younger vintages, I dare you to not be moved by this one. If ever there were a gateway malt, this would be it. Quite simply one of the best standard expressions on the market. It is unconventional in how its stark simplicity is actually a deep complexity. Spend some time wrapping your head around that one, but do so with a glass of this in hand. The senses, both nose and taste, are seduced with creamy honey and rich peat smoke, before being led into the depths of this whisky. Dusty, spicy vanilla mild cigar rich sweet butter a bouquet of soft fruit and barely seen floral notes. I even get a tiny hint of dill somewhere. Quirky and unique. The delivery is unbelievably smooth and calculated. Rich wood smoke teases, then mellows out with sweet caramel notes (and yes this is a good thing). What I wouldn t give to have this at cask strength. Stunning and majestic (www.alllthingswhisky.com ) Nose: Warm, notably flower. Heather honey, fresh oak, cap, peat, smoky fragrance. Very aromatic and appetizing. Body: Remarkably smooth; firm, rounded. Palate: Lightly salty. Leafy (vine leaves?), pine nuts. Lots of flavor development: nuts, honey, cinnamon, drying ginger. Finish: Spice, Very dry. Oaky, smoky, and hot. (Michael Jackson)
Signatory Vintage, Highland Park Independent Bottling, 20 years old, 46% Distilled 12.05.1991, Bottled 7.7.2011 Cask 15084, Bottle 42 of 727 Andrew Symington founded Signatory Vintage in 1998. It is a family owned and managed company, being one of only three true independent bottlers. They always like to draw a distinction between the independent companies who bottle their own products, and the independent companies whose products are bottled under contract. The other fully independent bottlers are: Gordon & MacPhail and Wm. Cadenhead. The name of Signatory derived from the fact that their initial intention was to find someone famous to sign the labels for bottles produced from one single cask. The first cask we purchased was a cask of 1968 Glenlivet, which was sold long before we could find a famous person. It is their aim, as an independent bottler to offer a range of whiskies, some of which are not bottled by the proprietor of a particular distillery, and some at different ages/strengths to those offered as distillery bottlings. The majority of their bottlings are the product of single casks, with the malt whisky enthusiast being given the opportunity to sample the subtle differences which occur with each different cask. Miscellaneous reviews: The nose smells very promising with some gorgeous fruity sweetness (think of dried fruit like red berries and raisins), some malted barley and a whiff of smoke. The smokiness is different to Islay whiskies and is more floral (imagine heather). This is because the makeup of the peat is different on the Orkneys, due to the lack of trees. On the palate, this is mellow, creamy and fairly rich. There is that sweetness again (fruity and malty) but this mixes with heathery and honey notes and that lovely subtle smokiness. The combination of all these elements marries very well and emphasizes Highland Park's reputation as a classic all-round whisky. The finish is long and very pleasant with the smoke more prominent. (www.whiskyforeveryone.blogspot.com) Nose: Floral and fruity. Notes of guava, mango and pear, hints of pepper, oak and mixed peels. A little potpourri and some mixed spices. Aromatic and rich. Palate: Fruity, fresh lemon zest, gooseberry and spice. A little herbal notes develops too, with thick malt. Finish: herbaceous and oaky now. All kinds of fragrant woods and sweet spices on the tail. (www.masterofmalt.com)