Highland Park 30 Years

Orkney, Scotland - Highland Park 30 Year Old is an exceptional small batch release that combines the distillery's signature fudgy sweetness with complex aromatic spices, dark chocolate orange, and heather peat notes. Dry at the finish, it leaves an aromatic smoky flavor and a mouthwatering hint of mild, salty sea spray - the result of 30 years' maturation in Orkney's island environment.. An exemplary Highland Park. There's certainly plenty of sherry influence in this whisky and it is complementary. (About 2/3 of the whisky was aged on sherry casks, and a lot of these casks were second fill.) The whisky enjoys a delicious foundation of toffee, fruit (lemon, plum, blueberries) and dark chocolate. It continues to develop and evolve on the palate, with emerging notes of heather, nougat, lavender, delicate peat and complex dried spice (especially cinnamon and nutmeg) to balance the sweeter notes. The extra alcohol is also a bonus, providing a drying balance to the whisky's sweetness. Whiskies like this one remind me why I fell in love with whisky in the first place.(Fall 2005) Reviewed by: John Hansell
Rich and nutty on the nose, there are aromas of smoked honey and a slightly floral perfume. Concentrated flavors on the palate are of cedar, clove, caramel and vanilla. The texture starts smooth and finishes with suede-like sweetness.
The nose offers subtle aromas of unsweetened coconut, bacon fat, and dark toffee with additional toasty scents of apple crisp, dates and oak. The palate entry is rich and fresh; the midpalate features flavors of bacon fat, dark honey, fudge, and bitterswe- P.P. (4/1/2006) - 96-100. 45.2% abv. Nutmeg, dark chocolate orange, aromatic peat smoke, sticky toffee pudding, sea salt. Liquor