Highland Park 1989 30 Year Cask Strength Connoisseur's Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)

Score: 21/23 Happiest of birthdays to me! It's time to celebrate! I'm opening the priciest bottle I've ever purchased! At the time of purchase, Highland Park was my top distillery. My preferences have shifted a lot since then. I'm really looking forward to trying this very aged Highland Park, which I still find to be superb, though my initial enthusiasm has tempered. Nose: Rich with vanilla and wood notes from bourbon, followed by smoke like a campfire, and subtle hints of salty minerals. Distant scents of roasted meat mixed with char. More char than anticipated, honestly. Faint apricot, tangerine, and orange zest. A more refined and pleasant take on a musty scent. I'm at a loss for words right now. Palate: Full-bodied with a bit of warmth. The alcohol is noticeable. Beyond that, I detect the familiar Highland Park profile – sulfurous meatiness with bourbon barrel vanilla and spice, mingled with tangerine and sea spray. It also has notes of crab, some maltiness, an extra touch of orange zest, a surprising amount of charcoal, hints of barbecue, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and faint black pepper. Finish: Leans more towards bitter and full-bodied, with lingering malty caramel (toffee?), rich citrus, and significant, slightly meaty, char. This is a very good finish, but it overemphasizes the char and lacks substantial complexity. - Overall - This expression is more mature, full, robust, sophisticated, complex, and bitter compared to Loch Lomond 19 Royal Portrush. I believe it's the clear winner between the two. But is it flawless? Absolutely not. I'm enjoying it immensely, but the excessive charcoal prevents me from awarding it top marks. I'm considering a score between 19 and 22, with 19 being the least probable and 22 also being quite unlikely. This is an outstanding dram, but for its cost and age, it doesn't quite deliver the legendary taste and experience it should. Frankly, I adore it, but I recognize that it would only justify the price if it were a perfect 23/23, which it isn't. I feel the char is the main issue. That barbecue characteristic simply doesn't complement the rest of the flavor profile. It's somewhat strange and unbalanced. So, it's either a 20 or a 21. Signatory's North British 28 (1991) (17/23) presents much more campfire and char. While that doesn't help me much here, it does confirm that this is definitely not an 18 and makes me lean away from a 19. Okay, so this is certainly at least a 20. A peculiar comparison, but Joseph Magnus (21/23) offers greater complexity and balance, though it's spicier. Ultimately, it's difficult for me to say I favor this over the Magnus. Still, I felt the Magnus was on the higher end of the 21 range. I can see this being a lower 21. Delord 25 (20/23) exhibits a lot of creosote alongside its barrel notes and a smooth yet full flavor profile combining bitterness and sweetness naturally. Its complexity and balance are less prominent. This is undoubtedly funkier, but far more intriguing and nuanced. I believe this is a 21. While this didn't reach the perfect score it really should have at this price point, over the past couple of weeks since opening it, I've noticed it has mellowed and the campfire and char notes have subsided. There's a strong possibility this could achieve full marks after some time aging in a partially filled bottle.