G&M Highland Park 1994 CS Refill Sherry

[talisker10]

Gordon and Macphail 1994/2006 Highland Park matured in Refill Sherry Hogshead..57.8% ABV

Tasted neat (can't gulp, but surprisingly smooth neat if sipped)

Nose: Honey, some peat and smoke (first time I ever nosed peat in an HP), various fruits

Mouth: Thick, mouth-coating, honey, plums, raisins, peat, minty-flavored smoke at the end

Finish: Long finish, sherry dominated, mainly plums and raisins, no smoke or peat in the finish. Longest finish I have ever had in an HP.

The only other CS HP I had was the Lone Star Cask Edition #1. That one was older (15 years) and had a more chocolate-orange tinge to it.

Of the HP I have had I would have to rate this one as tops..even better than the HP 18 year. Good stuff.

[The Third Dram]

Fascinating, t10. I've tasted the 1995 edition (matured in a similar cask and also bottled by G&M in 2006, but at 57.2%ABV), and quite enjoyed it. But I found it a little on the young side, and not nearly as complex and harmonious as the OB 18YO. I also felt that the cask utilized seemed to favour the honey and salt aspects over heather and peat. More of an 'afternoon' or 'pre-dinner' type of Scotch, as opposed to the 'post-prandial' character of the 18YO (and older) distillery releases. Still very good, mind you!

[talisker10]

Keep in mind I have never had anything older than the 18. The 18 is one of my favs for sure, and it took darn near 3/4 of this bottle (over 2 months of course) to decide I like it better than the 18.

[pkt77242]

Great job on the notes. Hmm, I can't wait for the HP tasting next month.

Sean

[talisker10]

I will be in Australia next month, but maybe I will pick up a bottle of HP 12 at duty free and join y'all from the hotel.

I was thinking that maybe the distillate in 1994 was slightly different than 1995..then again maybe that one extra year helped as well.