Highland Park Bicentennary

[peergynt323]

Anyone tasted? Quality? Notes? Much different from 25 (which I already have)?

[sku]

This is one of my favorite whiskies. I don't do tasting notes, but it is for me, an almost perfect dram: well balanced, some peat, smooth yet complex flavor. I haven't had the 25, but I've had several HP indies in their 20s and I've yet to find one as good as the Bicentennial.

[Wave]

I haven't tasted it since I had a dram of it at the Highland Park distillery, it was so nice I bought a bottle of it right there and then! It still sits in my whisky cabinet today unopened and being saved for a special occasion, whichever that may be!

I also got to try the Centennial from one of the workers at the Stomness Hotel who was a HUGE Highland Park fan. After the Centennial the 25yo seemed almost bland in comparision! Unfortunately the Centennial was long gone and he didn't seem to want to sell any of his. Hey, I can understand!


Cheers!

[peergynt323]

Should I pick up more than one then? My whisky shop has lots.

[corbuso]

Anyone tasted? Quality? Notes? Much different from 25 (which I already have)?

An excellent smooth Highland Park and to my opinion better than the 25YO. Rrich and complex, on toffee, chocolate, peat and heather. Well balanced. Not cheap, but worth a price. Would have benefited of a fee % of alcohol more.

Corbuso
............
http://www.whisky-news.com

[Wave]

Should I pick up more than one then? My whisky shop has lots.

You might as well, it is a great whisky though it really doesn't seem to be all that limited. I bought mine in August of '02!


Cheers!

[vitara7]

got one, but sadly havent opened it.

[Sherried Malt]

This is my favorite whisky. I always have one open and there's another 3 waiting...

Sku and Corbuso hit it right on the head. Complex flavors with everything in perfect balance. I prefer it to the 25 YO, but it falls behind the 30. Since I can get nearly 2 Bicentennaries for each 25, that's a no-brainer for me! An absolutely wonderful whisky!!

[Ardbeg311]

My whisky shop has lots.

Of the HP Bicentenary Vintage?? Lucky you! I wish a whisky shop around here did. This bottle is an incredibly balanced whisky with all the expected flavors a Highland Park coming together beautifully. It is one of my favorite HP whiskies. Fortunately, I still have one in the reserve stock.

I agree with those who think that bottling it at a higher strength would probably have made this great whisky even better. Having tasted the HP 24yo 58% bottled exclusively for Park Ave. Liquors (and the 23yo 57.9% bottled for Park Ave and Whisky Live 2006 -- both IMO slightly better than the 1977), I think the the HP flavors do quite well at cask strength.

[Sherried Malt]

My whisky shop has lots.

Of the HP Bicentenary Vintage?? Lucky you! I wish a whisky shop around here did.

Ardbeg, I don't know how difficult it is to ship spirits into MA, but I know of at least two stores that still have a very good supply. I can send you their names if you want...

[Drrich1965]

My whisky shop has lots.

Of the HP Bicentenary Vintage?? Lucky you! I wish a whisky shop around here did. This bottle is an incredibly balanced whisky with all the expected flavors a Highland Park coming together beautifully. It is one of my favorite HP whiskies. Fortunately, I still have one in the reserve stock.

I agree with those who think that bottling it at a higher strength would probably have made this great whisky even better. Having tasted the HP 24yo 58% bottled exclusively for Park Ave. Liquors (and the 23yo 57.9% bottled for Park Ave and Whisky Live 2006 -- both IMO slightly better than the 1977), I think the the HP flavors do quite well at cask strength.

http://www.binnys.com

Resonablly priced and plenty off it..

[Ardbeg311]

Thanks for this Richard and I have sent a PM to you Sherried Malt.

[Sherried Malt]

I have sent a PM to you Sherried Malt.

Please look in your inbox...

Cheers!

[MGillespie]

The Bicentenary is without a doubt one of my favorite drams of all time! If you can find a bottle, buy it...and if you can find two...buy them both and send one to me!

Seriously, this is an excellent whisky...my notes from the last time I had it showed a touch of brine in the nose, while spicier and smokier than younger Highland Parks.

Mark

[peergynt323]

Mark, I may just take you up on that as I am sure you have some whiskies available for exchange that I, as a young whisky drinker, do not have access to. Please PM me so that we can work something out.

[MGillespie]

Let me see what I can find when I start digging around in the back, and I'll PM you sometime soon...

Mark

[Bulkington]

I find it curious that folks are talking about this and some bottles just showed up at Park Ave. Liquor ... now ... when this was released in ... was it '98? (21 yrs old, distilled in '77.) How does that work? Had some been collecting dust somewhere and only just got released?

Anyway, I picked up a bottle and think it's great. It's hard for me to judge against the HP 12 and 18, as post sinus surgery nothing tastes as it did before (rediscovering old favorites and giving others a second chance has been and will continue to be fun). It's strange, though: beneath the heather there's something almost Springbank-like about it, like the Springbank brine you taste beneath the smoke of a Longrow 10. Nice, and not as perfumy as I remember the 18 as being. But, again, I could try the 18 now and taste something not at all resembling what I had before.

[lbacha]

Well I just ordered 2 bottles from Park Avenue so it is still available. Based on the comments I've heard here i can't go wrong sounds like a great dram.


Len

[Bulkington]

I bought mine there a couple of weeks ago and as I recall they said they have a few cases. Wish I could afford to stock up on it.

[lbacha]

The price isn't all that bad for a 21 yr old vintage bottling, and after I try it I might just have to get some more to stock the cupboard.

Len

[lbacha]

I haven't tasted it since I had a dram of it at the Highland Park distillery, it was so nice I bought a bottle of it right there and then! It still sits in my whisky cabinet today unopened and being saved for a special occasion, whichever that may be!

I also got to try the Centennial from one of the workers at the Stomness Hotel who was a HUGE Highland Park fan. After the Centennial the 25yo seemed almost bland in comparision! Unfortunately the Centennial was long gone and he didn't seem to want to sell any of his. Hey, I can understand!


Cheers!

Is the centennial bottle something different then? and what does Bicentennial in the name stand for is 1977 the bicentennial year for HP and if that is the case can they call any 1977 a bicentennial HP

Len

[Wave]

Is the centennial bottle something different then? and what does Bicentennial in the name stand for is 1977 the bicentennial year for HP and if that is the case can they call any 1977 a bicentennial HP

Yes, the Centenary(sp?) was released prior to the Bicentenary and was a much more limited release than the Bi which came out at least as early as '02. That's also how long it's been since I seen a bottle of the Centenary and really can't tell you any more info about that. As far as all '77's being a Bicentenary? Sounds plausable, but I think the bottle would be labelled as such like mine is.


Cheers!

[lbacha]

Is the centennial bottle something different then? and what does Bicentennial in the name stand for is 1977 the bicentennial year for HP and if that is the case can they call any 1977 a bicentennial HP

Yes, the Centenary(sp?) was released prior to the Bicentenary and was a much more limited release than the Bi which came out at least as early as '02. That's also how long it's been since I seen a bottle of the Centenary and really can't tell you any more info about that. As far as all '77's being a Bicentenary? Sounds plausable, but I think the bottle would be labelled as such like mine is.


Cheers!

Is this the Centenary that you are talking about it is the only reference to a HP Centenary on the web that I can find.

Highland Park 1970 Centenary Reserve Single Highland Highland 1970 1995 40 "Centenary Reserve is a range of malts that has been selected and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in order to celebrate the centenary of the company. Available as 1970 distilling in 70cl and 5 cl bottles



Len

[lbacha]

Here are the notes from the distillery web site

1998 was Highland Park's bicentenary year, a milestone event in that most ancient of places, the Orkney Islands.

To commemorate the historic occasion, we commissioned an exclusive bottling, Highland Park 1977 Vintage Reserve.

Staff from the distillery, management and some of the world's greatest whisky connoisseurs came together to celebrate the bicentenary on Orkney and herald the launch of the 1977.

Our 1977 bottling is now Sold Out.


Tasting Notes
Colour: Golden Amber, liquid honey.
Aroma: Rich and sweet with a hint of smokey peat, picking up soft oak tones.
Taste: Medium to long, subtle oak with a hint of rich fruit cake.

It looks like 1998 was the 200 year anniversary so this should be the only bicentenary bottling.

Len

[Bulkington]

That's what prompted my question above: it's curious that what was apparently released in 1998 should suddenly now be available and have a thread here devoted to it (attesting also to its having recently been acquired), esp. given its quality and affordability for its age.

[Wave]

Our 1977 bottling is now Sold Out.

FINALY!

Which is really what ticked me off about the Bicentenary. When I was at the Highland Park Distillery (Aug. '02) I was told then that the Bi was only being sold there at the distillery which is one of the main reasons why I bought it thinking it would be very rare except for those of us who have made the effort to venture to the Highland Park Distillery. A week later I found it for sale in Edinburgh and several years ago for sale in Chicago and elsewhere in the States!
So much for a distillery only bottling.


Cheers!

[lbacha]

That's what prompted my question above: it's curious that what was apparently released in 1998 should suddenly now be available and have a thread here devoted to it (attesting also to its having recently been acquired), esp. given its quality and affordability for its age.

Makes you wonder, I do know that the US gets bottling a while after they are available in the UK but this is crazy, It has been 9 years and Park Avenue has a stash of them. That is why I was wondering about the Bicentenary, but if it trully was in 1998 then these are the bottles unless the distillery is being dishonest in their labeling. It is one thing to find a bottle on a small liqour store shelf, but Park Avenue is pretty big and it is posted on their web site.

Len

[Bulkington]

Park Ave. told me they'd acquired them from some overstocked liquor store in Indiana or something and that they had something like three cases. This liquor store sat on these for 9 years?

[Deactivated Member]

Possibly a mistaken order in the first place (three cases instead of three bottles?), or an overzealous manager overestimating the demand for this amongst Hoosiers.