Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 4

Highland Park, despite being some of the highest rated scotch in most circles that I've looked, has always been very bland and not memorable to me. I was searching in the store for a nice whiskey to celebrate finally getting my new custom car, and since I've been entirely burnt out of the American whiskey culture and market (and since I don't have nearly as much scotch as I would like), I ended up with this, mostly because finding cask strength scotch is a pretty tall order. I find it odd that most Highland Park products are aged stated, but not their cask strength line. This one makes more sense, seeing as there are at least 4 different batches that came together, all from different cask types. Speaking of which, using port casks in scotch at all seems very niche, but I still feel it would be at least fairly welcome alongside the bourbon and sherry barrels. It will be nice to see if there is any more detectable peat backbone to this as well (which, according to a pamphlet included inside the box, shows more peat as compared to any of their other permanent lines, with the exception of the 3rd cask strength release). The color reflects fresh oak staves and honey, as well as a touch of sherry. The nose indeed showcases some smoky, briny peat, almost to the point of being a little sour. I also get notes of grain mash and cornbread, but honestly not much else. The ethanol is very tame for this high of an ABV, which allows for easy repeat sniffs, and finally showcase to me notes of mixed oak, mostly fresh and toasted than sweet, but it's still very faint overall. The flavor begins fairly sweet as a honey syrup note, which slowly becomes less sweet as the mouth starts to really fire up. The grain note from the nose is back, definitely an amalgam overall, but still grounds things as the gums start to burn. The peat is tasted earlier on as the sweetness begins to fade, but once the proof reaches full potential, everything else takes a back seat. As things calm through the finish, there are basic flavors of oak and sherry that can be detected, but it mostly returns to the grain baseline. Not surpringly, this turned out like every other Highland Park product I've tried: trying too hard to play all the sides in the scotch game that there isn't anything that makes it noteworthy in the end. I will say this, though: the proof is incredibly powerful, which is what you should always want from a cask strength of anything, and this undiluted practice is getting harder and harder to find in scotch (at least for me, and at least locally in state and country). Despite it being fairly forgettable, the price point is still pretty attractive as a whole, especially when you consider that a very large number of American distilleries proudly demand the same price for something that's maybe aged 6-8 years, and is usually watered down. In any case, it's a nice addition on the shelf and helps if you wanted a balanced scotch, but still wanted it to bite back.

Natural Cask Strength - 64.3%, non chill filtered and natural colour. Nose: wood char, sweat floral peal ( this is what I would picture if I was burning brush that had a large amount of wild flowers) and butterscotch pudding. Palate: raisins, nuts and a dark chocolate cakey feel. Finish: short and slightly alcoholic. With Water: Nose: sweet butterscotch, honey and sugar coated orange soft candies. Palate: orange zest, honey and a slight dark chocolate bitterness. Finish: medium to med long more orange zest and rind followed by a faint sweet peat smoke….that trademark honey heather. This cask strength HP is intense and layered. This needs a generous amount of water to open up from its closed off self, I find myself using 1-3 teaspoons depending on the mood. Each time I sit down with this I wonder why Highland Park decides to neuter its core line, they clearly can make a whisky. Originally, after having this bottle, I was considering making a statement along the lines of “I most likely will never buy anything else but the HP 12 and the CS releases”. But after sitting on that, I’m inclined to say I would only buy these un restrained versions. I purchased this bottle in the states for 100 USD and thats a good deal for this, I can’t justify there other prices after having this. Lovely whisky if you like Highland Parks profile, but find the core line a bit thin or weak.

(Sorry, cask strength) What an amazing nose, aromatic creamy buttered nuts with a little vanilla, taste blows up on your tongue with a mouthful of different heavenly flavours. A deep earthy caramel citrus peel then hits pretty hard with the abv, but it’s quite pleasant. Finishes quickly, with a warm lingering faint butterscotch sweetness. There may be an oh so faint smokiness, but it’s so far away, and that’s nice. Worth a taste, for sure.

Nose: sweet grass like tobacco, or sweet bread baking on wood coals with the tinge of smoke wafting through. Salt and brine as well. Palette: this shifts to the bourbon family of flavours, vanilla and leather, and the cask strength shows up in its full force. Finish: the heat arrives here. Oak and bourbon, some sherry, baking spices, so good, savour every drop.

Tycker att doften först är dämpad, med lite luft så öppnar doften upp sig. Rökig, lite ceder, honung. Tycker den blev bäst med lite vatten i för att få bort lite skarphet och den är då som en mer koncentrerad highland park 12. I munnen kommer först en tydlig honungssötma med en fruktig ton, följt av en rökig & kryddig lång finish.

128.6 proof. 100% malted barley. Aged in ex bourbon barrels, ex sherry and ex port casks. Chocolate, charred bacon, peat, roasted barley, charred oak, corn, roasted nuts, vanilla, sour grapes, chocolate covered cherries, honey ham, butterscotch.