Review #270 - SMWS 4.328 'Meets Expectations' - Highland Park 14 Year
A Highland Park bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, with a solid age statement of 14 years and a nice cask strength of 60.6% ABV - we're off to a solid start.
One of the oldest remaining distilleries in Scotland, Highland Park was established in 1798 in the Orkney Islands, north of the Scottish mainland, making it more than 225 years old. It is owned by Edrington Group, along with stablemates Macallan, Glenturret, Glenrothes, and Tamdhu. The distillery is known for its lightly peated malt, and there's a good deal of sherry cask maturation used in official bottlings.
This independent bottling instead uses ex-bourbon casks - a hogshead at first, and then a finishing cask of a first fill ex-bourbon barrel. We're hoping that will help us isolate the distillate character from the cask influence, so we can get a true taste of the distillery.
SMWS 4.328 'Meets Expectations' - Highland Park 14 Year
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 155 (2023)
Age Statement: 14 Years
Strength: 60.6% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled January 28, 2008; 254 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Mild to medium peat smoke, and a nice coastal influence: salty, mineral, almost petrichor, like fresh rain on pavement. There are some subtle flavors of sweet vanilla and damp moss, along with a hint of spiky heat.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thick; lots of sweet lemon and pepper up front, and the peat is still medium in strength. Later, we get warming, spicy oranges.
Finish: Vanilla and lemon curd are the strongest lingering flavors; there's still some peat smoke as well, which lasts the longest.
Final Note: So, did this bottle 'Meet Expectations?' For a 14 year old Highland Park - yes, we think so. For a $155 bottle? Maybe not. This is a good whisky, but it's quite expensive for a relatively straightforward ex-bourbon matured whisky of this age. Not the most complex, but pleasant to sip on if you can get past the high bottling strength. It is probably the strongest peat smoke influence that we've tasted in a Highland Park bottling of any variety, as well.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.59
Check out our other Highland Park reviews:
Review #269 - SMWS 4.319 'From Coast to Kiln' - Highland Park 10 Year
