Highland Park 10 Year Rebus

This 2017 themed bottling, a 10-year-old release, was sent by a friend. I wondered if it would be another weak offering with elaborate, Viking-inspired packaging. Well, it kind of is, but I can forgive them this time for the theme because the whisky itself was alright. This 10-year-old bottling is a bit confusingly named, released to celebrate a fictional character's 30th anniversary. The distillery has a history with such themed releases, so it's not just a cash grab. So, how's the actual whisky? It's bottled at 40% ABV, is chill-filtered, and likely has coloring added. The color is a new gold, and it's very oily. Thin legs form slowly down the glass, followed by heavy drops after a good swirl. The aroma immediately presents an unusual, barnyard funk, and smoke is noticeably absent. After resting in the glass for a few minutes, sherry cask influences, honey-dipped berries, and cereal malt become the main components. Like a good mystery, this whisky leads you down an unexpected path initially. The taste hits with honeycomb, toasted almonds, dry roasted peanuts, and a very subtle sherry sweetness. Again, there's no smoke upfront. Some minerality and earthy peat emerge on the finish. There's no campfire smoke or briny character. It feels oily and full on the palate but lacks spice and heat from the barrel due to the low ABV. While it's easy to drink, it feels like there isn't much whisky in the whisky, which ultimately leads to a lower score. The finish should be the novel's twist, but this isn't a thriller; it's rather tame. There's a trace of smoke, more like barrel char than smoldering embers. It's also short, weak, and somewhat unsatisfying. A faint lingering berry sweetness is detected, but it fades quickly and gently. So, how do I rate this? I don't want to penalize it for its theme; paying tribute to a British crime author is fine, especially as a change from the constant Viking themes. The 10-year age statement neither helps nor hurts the score. The best aspect is that it's funkier than most of the distillery's offerings, which I can appreciate. However, I can't give it points for complexity. Considering all these factors, I'd rate this 3 to 3.25 stars. This whisky isn't mysterious enough to warrant deeper exploration. It's a cool bottle for dedicated fans of the distillery, but others can probably skip it. Thanks again to my friend for the sample. Cheers. Additionally, my friend has a humorous video review of this whisky on his YouTube channel, Dapper Drams. Check it out for his tasting notes and to see his brother's struggles as a newcomer to scotch whisky.

This is one of Highland Park's many recent releases. A 10-year-old made to honor Inspector John Rebus, a character from Scottish author Ian Rankin's books. I'm completely unfamiliar with this character or author. A couple of years ago, I won a chance to purchase this bottle directly from HP, only to discover Scottish distilleries don't ship to the US. I was annoyed but let it go until I saw it at auction. I decided to get revenge on whoever prevented me from getting the bottle initially. I acquired it for about $45, slightly above the HP retail price of around $40. Bottled at 40% ABV, it's chill-filtered and has a natural yellow-gold color. I believe there were 10,000 bottles released, but I could be mistaken. The black bottle should be prohibited. The nose is very earthy with vegetal peat, a savory/umami character. Light sherry notes, Worcestershire sauce, cooked celery, and water chestnuts. Subtle smoke, sherried oak, raisins, and figs. This profile is unusual for HP, unlike others I've sampled. Pickled ginger, pineapple, and teriyaki. It then shifts to more citrus fruit notes with lime, kiwi, and lemon custard. Creamy vanilla, grassy/hay, sometimes lightly malty, other times heavily malty. Caramel and maple notes appear and disappear. A mineral/coastal sensation, like seashells, is also present. The palate is quite strange. Vegetal, savory, oaky, and earthy. Very light fruits like raisins, coconut, apricot skins, plums, and dried pineapple. A faint whiff of smoke. At times, it's a bit tannic and bitter, while at other times sweet with hints of toffee and honey. A light-bodied mouthfeel that is thin yet creamy. The finish is medium-short with peat, vegetal notes, and distant fruit. Not what I expected from HP at all. Quite different from their typical profile. A good value, but an average scotch. It showed some good flavors periodically, but mostly it was weak and underwhelming. 3.25 Cheers