Eye Land Pork 1998, 21yo, The Whisky Jury

It appears the independent bottler 'The Whisky Jury' had a cask from an Orkney malt but lacked the proper permits to use the distillery's name. They've provided a hint to the spirit's origin by naming it 'Eye-Land-Pork'... from Orkney. Haha. This is a 1998 vintage Highland Park, bottled 21 years later at 48.3% ABV, with a white wine color. The nose began very floral, with sweet plums, a touch of acetone, and brownies. Fresh, tart gooseberries appeared, followed by the characteristic heathery peat of Highland Park after a few minutes. It's a mix of herbal and minty notes. Very fresh, almost overwhelmingly so. This is the most floral whisky I've ever encountered. It reminds me of mint hard candy. Fresh, tart orchard fruits. Vanilla ice cream emerged after a few sips, the ice cream melting into the heathery peat, creating a beautiful aroma. The palate is genuinely sweet. Vanilla ice cream, a hint of dulce de leche, and barbecue salt. It's quite good. The vanilla note is exceptionally well-executed, and there's a pleasant ashiness. Gooseberries are also present. The finish was outstanding. Beautiful wisps of smoke, tobacco, cigars, and pure 'amazingness.' Very satisfying. Notes of sawdust and new wood were also detected. Overall, this is a superb whisky. I've become a fan of 'The Whisky Jury' bottlings, which I only recently discovered. They consistently offer solid, complex, enjoyable, and rewarding whiskies. The finish here is very elegant and not excessively smoky, making it very approachable. My score is 91 out of 100. I would definitely purchase it again.