Your favorite Highland Park

by **Dubois** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:20 pm

Which Highland Park have you enjoyed the most?

I voted Highland Park 18 Yrs.

by **PuckJunkie** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:27 pm

I've only had the 12 and 18 - and the 12 I've only had once in a bar, hardly circumstances under which I could fairly judge it. But with that caveat, I will say that between the 12 and 18 it was no contest, I much preferred the 18. I didn't vote, since I've never seen the 16 and I'm not enough into HP to spring for the 25.

Puck

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:33 pm

I really liked the 1967 - which I bought in 1993 - the first really expensive whisky I had ever tried (and the first to predate me)

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:04 pm

I swing for the 25yo... wonderful stuff but I have liked all the HPs I've tasted. Have not had the pleasure with the 16 though but prefer the 12 over the 18 :!:

go figure

So 25, 12 & 18 in that order.

by **Spirit of Islay** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:22 pm

The Highland Park 2000 , first time i tasted HP at Caskstrength , wonderful stuff , the Whisky Scam 23yo is a close second mainly because it's a delightful , light HP and it was under £30 a bottle......

Gordon

by **Muskrat Portage** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:15 pm

I've tried the 12, 18 and 25 but I enjoyed the 1977 so much I bought a bottle. So, that's what I vote for. .."other"
Musky Portage

by **Choochoo** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:25 pm

One of my all time favorites is a 16yo OMC HP. It was a lot like the HP 18 but everything was much bigger. It had so much oaky honey, with just the right amount of smoke in there as well, really wonderful.

by **Photon** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:40 pm

As much as I like the others (caveat - have not had the 16), I think the 12 is my favorite.

:shock:

-P.

by **MGillespie** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:23 am

The 1977 Bicentennary release is my favorite by far...

Mark

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:14 pm

Photon wrote:As much as I like the others (caveat - have not had the 16), I think the 12 is my favorite.

-P.

I agree in a way Photon. Eventhough I prefer the 25, I think for the money you pay and what you get you can't beat the 12 either. I would happily replace the 12 but maybe not the 25 because of cost as it is between 150-200Euros in Ireland if you can get it.

by **hpulley** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:19 pm

I quite like the 25yo but have only enjoyed drams. The bottle is too expensive, IMO.

My favorite affordable HP is a Whisky Galore '94 11yo UCF. It is much peatier and smokier than current OB HPs but still retains some heather and honey character. It is more like the old 12yo that I prefer to the current one (or my tastes have changed and I just _think_ this 11yo is like the 12yo -- it is impossible for me to tell now).

Harry

by **merritt** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:57 pm

I voted for the 18. Still my favorite HP, if not my favorite single malt. But for all you Toronto residence, I purchased the HP Hudson's Bay 15 year old malt from the Summerhill LCBO and its the strangest HP I've ever tried. Big Wood, Big Smoke, Big Peat, but in the end its really really Sweet. It has a huge honey flavour. And the longer it sits, the bigger the Honey. At $135, I highly recommend it.

Has anyone else tried this HP?

by **Jan** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:33 pm

I have tried the 12, 18, 30 & the Alchemist 15yo.

I must say that the so far the 18yo is a firm favourite - not only compared to other HP expressions, but allover as well.

But still - I will have to make a point of trying out some other OB HPs....

Kevin over at scotch blog has just published a piece on HP. - interesting information on the sherry/bourbon proportions.... which I think is quite surprising :shock:

Cheers
Jan

by **Danny** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:48 pm

Have only had the pleasure of the 12 and 18. I have to go with the 18, just a bit more refined and fits me better than the 12. Not that the 12 is not highly drinkable.

by **Sherried Malt** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:01 pm

I love the 1977 Bicentennary, but if someone is buying, then I'd opt for the 25. :wink:

The 25 is slightly better but for the price difference, it'd better be!

by **hpulley** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:15 pm

merritt wrote:I voted for the 18. Still my favorite HP, if not my favorite single malt. But for all you Toronto residence, I purchased the HP Hudson's Bay 15 year old malt from the Summerhill LCBO and its the strangest HP I've ever tried. Big Wood, Big Smoke, Big Peat, but in the end its really really Sweet. It has a huge honey flavour. And the longer it sits, the bigger the Honey. At $135, I highly recommend it.

Has anyone else tried this HP?

I haven't tried it. I saw it in the store and was quite tempted but passed as HP is not a real favorite distillery of mine (don't know why). Alas there are just a couple of bottles listed in inventory, both of which could be phantoms so it appears I lost my chance.

[Of five bottles opened on St. Patrick's Day (DTC Glenugie '81 23yo, DTC Glengarioch '88 17yo, Whisky Galore HP '94 11yo, Sig. Ardmore '92 11yo, G&M Ardmore '90 14yo) the other four bottles are long gone but the HP is still half full even though I quite like it. Just doesn't fit my mood as often as the others, it seems.]

Harry

by **Wendy** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:17 pm

I am a big fan of HP whiskies, but I would have to vote for the HP 18 yo.

Hi Merritt,
I have had the pleasure of tasting the HP Hudson Bay 15 yo and quite liked it. Reading your posting made me regretful for not buying a bottle. I can't find the thread, but if I remember correctly, the Hudson Bay bottling was discussed on the forum around Spring 2005. That is the time that I sampled it anyways. In my tasting notebook, I jotted: golden colour; peaty, sherry, aromatic and mellow. But, I also noted a dry finish.

Hey Harry: I'll swap you an almost full bottle of the Laphroaig 10 for your 1/2 bottle of Whisky Galore HP'94 11yo! In my camp, I am sadly eyeing the last of that dram! :wink:

Cheers,
Wendy

by **hpulley** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:02 am

Wendy wrote:Hey Harry: I'll swap you an almost full bottle of the Laphroaig 10 for your 1/2 bottle of Whisky Galore HP'94 11yo! In my camp, I am sadly eyeing the last of that dram!

Cheers,
Wendy

Just had another dram a moment ago so it isn't quite half a bottle now but I'm sure we can work something out

I'll try to leave it alone now

Harry

by **Lawrence** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 4:51 am

I went for the 18, it's really quite good.

by **parvus** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:10 am

I find the 12 to be a little lacklustre, but the 18 is really something quite nice. I'm keen to try the 20 some time, but it is unavailable in NZ.

by **bamber** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:43 am

HP OB rankings:

1 18yo
2 30yo (based on 1 dram)
3 25yo (based on 1 mini)
4= 16yo / 12yo

by **scoobypl** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:35 pm

Among the best HP's I ever tried were these:
Highland Park 25 years, 40° 70cl, 1952 -1977, bottled for the Queens Silver Jubilee by Gordon & MacPhail
followed closely by
Highland Park 8yo, 40%, bottled mid '60-ies, G&M "OB-label" (long, 'normal' bottle, plain brownish label)

With all due respect...the current range of HP is a very enjoyable range of drams, and I do agree with most posters on this: The 18yo is very enjoyable. All in all though, I do feel that HP lost some of it's feathers over the last 5 years or so... seems as if they toned down a bit... made them "lighter" in body...?

I'm talking rubbish, most likely :wink:

but those old dinosaurs I quoted earlier are in a different league altogether... :shock:

Paul

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:27 pm

bamber wrote:HP OB rankings:

1 18yo
2 30yo (based on 1 dram)
3 25yo (based on 1 mini)
4= 16yo / 12yo

I have to agree with this - although I haven't tried the 16yo.

I was lucky enough to attend the HP masterclass at whisky live last year when the 30 yo was first released. It was IMHO better than the 25 yo. The 18 is still a very unique whisky though. It seems to stand out time and time again.
If I were in charge of HP, I'd be very happy that so many OBs continually attract such interest and debate

by **toshie** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:37 pm

I had the pleasure of sampling the 12, 15, 18, 25 and 30 at a Gerry Tosh tasting for Glasgow's Whisky Club. The 18 got my vote on the night and a fair slice of my credit card the following day

by **Bullie** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:04 pm

I have three bottles of Highland Park ranked among my top 20 scores. They are as follow:

HP 15yo Single Cask 6537 (OB release for Sweden only) 95 points
HP Ping II Single Cask (OB for JUUL's in Denmark) 94 points
HP 15yo Single Cask 1602 (OB release for Sweden only) 94 points

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