Highland Park Tasting - 15 Feb 2008

[Sherried Malt]

Ok, on to the HP Bicentenary:

Nose: A very nice sherry nose but leaner than the 25. Not a huge difference, but it's very noticeable.

Palate: Also leaner on the palate than the 25, but it's still as delicious as I remember it. Imagine a lighter version of the 25, but still very sweet and balanced.

Finish: Lighter here as well. Not quite as complex or lasting.

The 25 is CLEARLY the better whisky. I once said that for the money, I'd go with 2 bottles of the Bi rather than having just one 25. I have to retract that. The 25 is worth every penny!

[Ganga]

Can't argue with the sentiment SM. Of course, for me I'm comparing about $160 to $220 between the two.

[mikeymad]

Good call Sherried. I almost opened my Bi this evening. I had not gotten around to it, and I wanted to try the non-sherried Sig. Thanks for the notes.

25yo at twice the price.... noted.

Cheers,

[Sherried Malt]

Can't argue with the sentiment SM. Of course, for me I'm comparing about $160 to $220 between the two.

Ganga, are you saying the Bi is going for $160 by you? If so, you gotta give Binny's a call...

[Ganga]

Yep, we've determined that the Bicentenary is high in these parts but how do you argue with $220 for the 25?

[Sherried Malt]

Yep, we've determined that the Bicentenary is high in these parts but how do you argue with $220 for the 25?

Wow, for a $60 difference, that becomes a no-brainer!

[Ganga]

HP Ganga Expression
Brand : Highland Park Expression : Prime Malt/Hi Time Vatting
Nose : Caramel and oranges are the initial elements. Honeyed apples, heather come through beneath. High notes of sherry/wine. Palate : Honeyed oranges, Wow. Heather and now some smokiness that really didn't come out in either one before. Nuked red apples with spices (cinnamon and sugar). Finish : Somewhere between the two for length. Honey, malt and oranges. Comment : This is actually more enjoyable than either whisky separately. Colour : Red tinged amber Score : 70
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 40/52.7% Bottler : N/A	Type : - Region : Island (non Islay) Water : No Ice : No Glass : Glencairn Notes : Ganga's Vatting of two bottlings
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ganga]

I really believe the extra proof in the 25 makes a big difference as well compared to the Bi at 43%.

[Sherried Malt]

Well done, Ganga! Congratulations. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts yet again.

[Ganga]

A little additon by subtraction. The vatting tends to mask the negatives/flaws of each bottle without taking too much away fromt he highlights.

[Sherried Malt]

Now it's time for the HP 30:

Nose: Much more reticent nose. Would call it elegant. Lighter than the 25 but also more complex and fuller than the Bi. (The Bi still seems lean.)

Palate: Man, that's amazing. Not as robust or plump as the 25, but it's just sooo well balanced! The sweetness of the sherry is just about perfect and it hits all the right notes. I can't imagine something better than this. Don't know how to describe it other than that...

Finish: Very long. A bit hot (a zinginess) at 48.1% and much more noticeable than the 50.7% of the 25. Maybe the fullness of the latter hides the alcohol more gracefully... Might be splitting hairs here too.

Here's another retraction. I once thought the 30 stood head and shoulders above the 25, but now it's not so clear. Now I think they're just two very different whiskies meant to be enjoyed on their own merits and at different times. However, if I had to choose one, I'd still go with the 30.

[Ganga]

SM, exactly. People ask me which is better. I respond with a question. Do you like a whisky that is more reserved or straightforward?

[mikeymad]

Wow Sherried, thanks for pushing the midnight hour to share that one with us.

thanks,

[Sherried Malt]

Wow Sherried, thanks for pushing the midnight hour to share that one with us.

thanks,

No prob. That's what happens when you have no life...

[Ganga]

Hey SM, we've started the new poll for March. Take a look.

[mikeymad]

makes me feel guilty for not opening some of my monsters....

Cheers,

[Sherried Malt]

Ok, time for some major gulps of water and then it's on to the Maxxum HP. You should see how dark that sucker is!

Who poured the A'bunadh into my HP??

[Ganga]

Ok, I'm out of HP to try. So, we'll have the remainder of a sample of the Glenglassaugh 30yo, 1975, OMC at 45.6%.

[Sherried Malt]

Hey SM, we've started the new poll for March. Take a look.

Just voted. Like Mikey, I just have one Balvenie (and one St. Magdalene.) However, if the vote falls to Bruichladdich, that's ok too since I just received the 12yo 1st Edition and would like to see what that's like.

It's all good.

[mikeymad]

Opening an archive sample:

Highland Park 25yo 1975 ( 43%, Hart Brothers, 75-00 tan label )

[Ganga]

Yep, I think having the vote keeps people's interest in the tasting event itself. Also, if you have any suggestions for a time frame for tasting it's a good thing to put in.

[mikeymad]

Here is a label scan.:

[mikeymad]

Archive sample:


Highland Park 25yo 1975 ( 43%, Hart Brothers, 75-00 tan label) in Glencairn

Color - tawny
Nose - varnish, oranges, wheat, straw
Palate - Dry citrus, lemon/oranges, almonds,
Finish - cinnimon spices on finish meduim/long in the throat
Comments - Good tast of a slightly older expression.

Glad I had the archive sample to pull for this, it matched up well with the other tastings.

[Ganga]

Glenglassaugh 30 yo OMC
Brand : Glenglassaugh Expression : 30 yo OMC/DL Parker Whiskey
Nose : I feel like I'm in the finishing room of woodshop getting high. A little grapey, malty, hints of cocoa, tangerines. Palate : There is a wonderful winey, maltiness Finish : Very satisfying. Maltiness lingers on the palate Comment : This is one of those "happy" beverages. Colour : Dark Straw Score : 91
Age : 30 Years Old Vintage : 1975 ABV : 45.6% Bottler : Douglas Laing	Type : Single Malt Region : Highland Water : none Ice : none Glass : Glencairn Notes : Bottle 066, Caks 2585
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Sherried Malt]

To close the night, here's the 19yo HP SC CS. (1986/2005, 55.3% abv, cask 2793)

Nose: Wow! That's a lot of sherry! Some alcohol. Sorta simple. (The 25 has more going on with its nose. In fact, there's some cinnamon and spice that wasn't as noticeable before. Easy to pick out now...) Hint of shoe polish? Something like moth balls or insect spray, but not in a bad way. It's faint... (Late flash: Smoked meat (ham) very noticeable in the empty glass...)

Palate: Got some sulfur / matchstick heads, which blew off. Big sherry. Sweet. Sorta one dimensional. Not a bruiser as much as a middleweight. Not that I would know what shoe polish tastes like, but sorta imagine it might taste like this. Again, it's faint.

Finish: A bit hot and drying. Your tongue tingles for quite a while... After clearing my palate with some water, a second taste left a much cleaner and sweeter finish. Wonder if it got overwhelmed by the abv...

Not sure I would've necessarily picked this out as an HP. Fun to try as an experiment but not an every day drinker and not up to the standard of the regular 18. Too one-dimensional.

[Sherried Malt]

Ganga, never had a Glenglassaugh, but your notes make me want to try one!

Thanks!

[Ganga]

Sounds very interesting Sherry. Glad you could post notes on the beverage.

[mikeymad]

The fun of the CS's. They can be strong and fun, but they can loose out on the depth.

Thanks for the notes.

Cheers,

[Ganga]

I've had one or two others. This is a magical representation of this distillery.

[Sherried Malt]

The fun of the CS's. They can be strong and fun, but they can loose out on the depth.

Thanks for the notes.

Cheers,

My pleasure. I want to try some of Binny's exclusives. They sound pretty amazing.

[mikeymad]

they are a lot of fun ganga and I had the set at the last whiskyfest

[Ganga]

The single cask 25 is interesting but flawed. Probably much better to get the 33 or 34 yo.

[Sherried Malt]

Ok, guys. I'm going to call it a night. It's been a blast!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[Sherried Malt]

The single cask 25 is interesting but flawed. Probably much better to get the 33 or 34 yo.

Will do!

[mikeymad]

There are other sets of single casks out there as well. Beltromos, and Park Ave both have their own as well as High Times (but for CA only).

Cheers,