Highland Park Fire Edition

I initially opened both the Highland Park Fire and Ice edition bottles at a gathering with several friends to align with the season 7 finale of Game of Thrones. I've been sampling both since then and feel ready to share my thoughts and impressions, beginning with the Fire Edition. This is a 15-year-old spirit that spent its entire maturation in refill port wine casks. It's bottled at 45.2% ABV, with just under 4,400 units available for the U.S. market. In the glass, it appears quite oily. Swirling it reveals a thick, oily film that clings to the sides, only developing thin legs slowly as it settles. It's not as dark as I anticipated for a port wine-finished whisky. Some reviewers mention a reddish hue, but I suspect they might have held the glass near the bright red bottle and are seeing its reflection, haha. It was a very surprising tasting experience from beginning to end, and not entirely in a positive way. On the nose, even after 15-20 minutes, I still primarily detect oak. There are abundant cinnamon notes as well. This masks any sweetness I expected from the wine barrel. I also don't detect any smoke. First disappointment. The palate is quite lively, especially for a Highland Park. I recall most HP spirits I've tried always seem well-aged, smooth, with a heavier-than-average mouthfeel. Fire feels young, like a non-age-statement spirit bottled a bit prematurely. Citrus peel and spicy oak lead into a lightly smoked mid-sip. The mouthfeel is thinner, causing all the flavors to fade somewhat quickly. Subtle smoke finally appears on the exhale, which prevents this from being a complete failure. Minor improvement. The finish is medium-long, with some strong, bitter chocolate notes mingling with the smoke. A balanced warmth spreads across your palate, which is this whisky's saving grace. That's the Highland Park I recognize and appreciate. Did you notice I didn't discuss the port finish much? That's because I found it to be non-existent. Any potential magic from those barrels must have gone elsewhere. This makes the offering so disappointing. I absolutely love peated, port-finished whisky, so even though I might have expected the impossible, this falls far short of delivering. Second disappointment. The extravagant packaging and high price tag are the final disappointments. I cannot recommend this when you could purchase nearly three bottles of the excellent 18-year-old for the cost of this one. 3 stars. Try it if you can find it at a bar for a reasonable price, but I would advise against buying a bottle until the price decreases significantly. Cheers.

A friend was gracious enough to send me several premium samples of Highland Park, and now that the current round of the Scottish Distillery Tour has concluded I figured that this is the perfect time to review them. So this will be part one of a four part HP review. The Fire Edition was fully matured exclusively in ex port casks for 15 years, rather than a port finish that typically only lasts 1-2 years. Bottled at 45.2% ABV, natural color of an amber with a reddish hue, and I have a feeling that it is chill filtered. The nose starts with sweet cinnamon candy. It’s Red Hots all the way, the chewy ones. Spicy oak with fruity port notes. Dark berries, caramel apples, plums, oranges, figs and a very light lemon citrus. Cinnamon chocolate, vanilla, toffee, maple syrup. A light coffee/mocha note. More cinnamon and a soft mint note. You’ll notice I didn’t mention peat or smoke. That’s because there really isn’t any to speak of. I know HP is known for light peating, but this is ridiculous. The palate has a very strange arrival. It’s a strong and distinct flavor that for the life of me I cannot put into words. It’s maddening! Here’s what I can describe. Cinnamon and lots of it. Vanilla, milk chocolate, white chocolate. Slightly bitter red grapes, blueberries, raspberries. Warm oak, toffee and caramel. A touch of pepper and, what’s this...is it smoke? Yes, finally the barest trace of smoke, hidden underneath 8 pounds of cinnamon. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel, oily, creamy and mouth coating. The finish is strange. Some sips it disappears in a flash, other times it lingers for 10 minutes or more. Cinnamon is the predominant note on the finish, but there is also a little mint and a nondescript fruitiness. This is a strange beast to be sure. Normally when you hear port maturation you think super sweet fruits and a thick mouthfeel. This is all cinnamon with the fruits playing second chair French horn. It’s also very non-HP with hardly any peat smoke and none of the tropical fruits I’ve come to expect. It really feels like a Glenmorangie experiment, but one that works fairly well. I like it. Now, is it $300 good? No, certainly not, but it’s still HP and they tend to command these prices lately. This is a 3.5-3.75, but I’m going to round up to 4 because of its uniqueness. Thanks for the sample from a friend. Cheers

Purchased during a sale for $120, I expected it to be bad, but let's see. Nose - Initially, it's very suety and earthy, fitting the 'fire' theme. This might be the earthiest Highland Park I've tasted; while some no-age-statement bottles were as or more peated, this nose is more so. The port finish then yields dark fruit notes that complement the earthiness, evoking lava. I'm seeing light purple hues against dark, warm earth, almost reddish. Revisiting, I detect salted meats, cooking sheet wax, and sugar sweetness typical of HP, which a friend described as white chocolate, though I perceive the same element differently. I'm not a huge fan, but I respect the effort. Taste - Upfront, there's sweetness, waxiness, and light earthiness, with notes of plums and dates. Towards the finish, it becomes very earthy, funky, and strange, with hints of charred oak smoke, vanilla, chia latte, smoked fish, and chili powder or hot pepper. A truly unique array of spices and flavors unfolds, with the whisky constantly evolving from start to finish. This makes scoring difficult, as I like some aspects and dislike others. However, they successfully achieved their 'FIRE' edition goal, deserving praise, though I believe most won't enjoy it. I rate the 'fire' aspect 2.5 out of 5. It offers a unique profile and flavor, well-executed according to their objective, but its strangeness might deter others. Getting this $300 MSRP bottle for $120 suggests I'm not alone in my assessment.

I was eager to taste this whisky since it came out. The bottle was so beautiful and everyone was talking about it and I finally had the chance of getting my hands on it and it is what the name says: a Fire. Lets talk about the bottle. It is a reddish crimson glass which looks like lava, and it comes in a wooden volcano shaped case. Amazing presentation, that symbolizes "Muspelheim, the glowing Norse fire realm of destruction". It is all about the viking mythology of Ragnarok and rebirth. Amazing. But... is the whisky any good? Well... lets see: Bottled at 45.2%abv, golden - ambar color. This have been entirely matured in refilled port wine casks. On the nose, on the palate, the aftertaste, everything is a volcano. Nose: uncorking gives you a salty - heathery peat right away. Once in the glass, it is warm sand, very sulphuric. Ashes, a scorched field from some war, or a braveheart / Mel Gibson movie. After a while, some lemon or mild citrusness appear. After the first sip, some milk chocolate magical appears. Palate is as hot as it can be. Look at these tasting notes: ashes, pepper, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (not the band), super spicy, slight vanilla and maybe some red fruits, but they are way too undermined by the spiciness. Aftertaste is a Mortal Kombat Fatality for your palate. Wasabi, Chilli and salt... but not off-putting. So... if you look at the notes, it is a fire. It is a volcano. But is it any good? I don't think this is a bad whisky at all, but I am not a spice fan myself, so for me, its a 77 over a 100 and I know some of you will kill me for that score. I know that maybe I'm punishing its score due to my own personal taste, but I got to stay true to my feelings about this whisky and it doesn't have the greatest nose, or a great palate or a great aftertaste. I am not a hardcore fan about port matured whiskies so this might not come as a surprise either. So, its a 77, hope the Ice Edition is better.

Another Highland Park offering, and a chance to experience this rare and sought-after whisky thanks to a fellow enthusiast from our spirits group. A special occasion. Non-Age Statement whiskies from Highland Park have generally been a letdown for me, and while I might not have this again, I was anticipating a memorable experience. Taking in the aromas, I'm greeted by cinnamon powder and a sweet nuttiness. An earthy quality is present in the spicy-sweetness. Raisin Bran, barley sugar, honey, heather, and vanilla form the core of the aroma. Hints of the sea and a very faint peat or char are subtle but emerge with time. Taking a sip. White pepper provides a warming sensation upon arrival. Sweetened vanilla, cinnamon sugar, and chocolate create a pleasant sweet foundation. A subtle note of concord grape adds a unique touch. The finish is drying due to oak tannins. A ginger spice prickle with vanilla-honey. The very end of the finish fades with a hint of grape juice. A gentle sweetness with a touch of zest. A clean and sweet freshness. I truly enjoyed it. However, does it justify the exorbitant price? No. I found it comparable to Glen Garioch 12, and for a significantly lower cost, I would opt for that one (due to the price difference). [85/100][Tasted: 12/3/17]

I purchased a 2oz pour of this last night while dining out. To be honest, I was surprised to see the distinctive red triangle bottle available domestically. I wasn't aware it had reached this side of the Atlantic yet. I spent $20 for a 2 oz serving. The aroma is smoky and floral, reminiscent of embers burning in a lavender field. It's that peat-port combination I've recently come to appreciate. The initial taste offers cinnamon and light floral notes, followed by a kick of red berries. The finish is very long and intense with more cinnamon. Overall, it's quite good, but is it worth $300 a bottle? I'm not convinced. I'm happy I bought a sample for $20, but I wouldn't be willing to spend $300, especially when other options are far superior and more reasonably priced. Unless you are a massive fan of Highland Park and are compelled to own every release, I would suggest passing on this and opting for another peat-port combination that offers similar quality at a much lower cost. In this instance, the premium price reflects the narrative and marketing rather than the liquid itself.