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About this bottle
This malt from the Highland Park Distillery, located in Orkney, Scotland, is presented as a younger expression. Gordon & MacPhail, a respected independent bottler based in Elgin, procured and bottled it. The MacPhail Collection features single malts from various Scottish regions, highlighting distinct distillery characteristics with minimal oak impact. This particular Highland Park bottling matured in former Bourbon and Sherry butts and is presented at 43% ABV.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 6 parsed reviews.
KKeisha Ahmad4.0
The color is like pale sunlight. The aroma is vibrant and fresh, with notes of lemon zest, unripe apple skin, agave syrup, and damp hay, finishing with a subtle hint of smoky peat. The taste is primarily characterized by the distinctive waxy, honeycomb flavor associated with Highland Park, initially subdued and mellow, with hints of malt, toasted pine nuts, and a mild saltiness. As it sits, more delicate flavors emerge, including hibiscus, herbal tea, thyme, and tarragon. The peat provides an herbal quality rather than overt smoke. It concludes with a pleasant warmth and a sweet, nutty aftertaste. Ideal for sipping during warmer weather.
FFay Turley3.3
As one of Scotland's oldest and most respected independent bottlers, Gordon & MacPhail is a dependable source for quality single malts. This 8-year-old Highland Park offers a light and delicate nose with notes of sour apricots, vanilla toffee, and subtle hints of smoke. The initial taste is young, fresh, and gingery, developing into honey sweetness, mango, and traces of black pepper. Again, not much peat. The finish is clean but one-dimensional, accompanied by a slightly dry and bitter aftertaste. I believe a few more years in the casks would have been highly beneficial.
RATING: 3.2/5.0 stars ≙ 81 pts → AVERAGE [+]
CCatrina Chapa3.0
This differs from what you typically get from HP. The usual combination of light Orkney peat and sherry with a hint of brine are still present, but they are noticeably toned down. Being younger, you get more of the distillery character and straight malt. The nose is very light, but the flavor is much more like a classic Highland. It's definitely interesting, and for $35, I think it's comparable to a younger, lighter HP 12 (Viking's Honor).
ZZuri Olivares4.0
Vanilla lemon, lemon head candies, a black tea called moons over madagascar, and moist deli ham from the peat. The mouthfeel and sweetness are like black tea, with light, watered-down fruit juice, lavender, and floral fruity notes. The peat makes an appearance now and then. Blanched peanuts. Salt brine. It's intense, but not excessively so. It smells like a good malt. Regardless of the notes, I can detect quality.
