Highland Park 21 Years Old, Ambassadors Cask

Tasted in Whisky Magazine Issue 54 by Arthur Motley and Owen Barstow.

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Tasting Notes

Arthur Motley Nose Quince jelly, cereal husk, wine gums and papaya. Warm apple turnover with almonds on top. A smear of engine oil. Palate Sherry, unripe apples, mixed spice and oak. Finish A chewed pencil, flaking paint and all. Comment A touch astringent for my tastes, but respectable. Ambassador, surely you should be really spoiling us?

Owen Barstow Nose Big and smooth. Linseed oil with a creamy vanilla toffee background. Pears. Palate Sweet and oily, then tannic and woody. Charred. Sun dried fruits. Attains balance and elegance with water. Tropical fruit characteristics develop. Finish Oily, yet astringent. Fruity. Comment Don’t be tempted to take it neat, it’s way too big and unbalanced. Senescent?