Highland Park Ice Edition

Continuing my review series of premium Highland Park samples from a friend. Tonight's focus is the 17-year-old Ice Edition, which predates the Fire Edition I reviewed previously. This single malt from Orkney was aged exclusively in used bourbon barrels, with no sherry influence. It's bottled at cask strength, 53.9% ABV, has a natural yellow-gold color, and is likely non-chill filtered, though not explicitly stated. ATTENTION: Failing to let this one breathe will result in a model glue aroma. Please allow at least 5-10 minutes. The nose begins softly and florally, with notes of heather honey and honeysuckle. It quickly shifts to fruitiness, starting with apples and pears, then abruptly transitioning to oranges, tangerines, apricots, and melon. It then switches again to tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. Subtle vanilla and caramel are present, along with very light smoke – more smoke than the Fire Edition, but that's not saying much. Bourbon-like characteristics emerge with warm oak, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toffee and a light mocha follow. As it's cask strength, I added water to uncover more. Toasted coconut was revealed, along with further floral notes and vanilla custard. The palate has a somewhat hot initial impact, but it's accompanied by abundant fruit flavors: mango, papaya, pineapple, grilled apricots, and some oranges. There's pepper and a very faint smoke, still not at the level I associate with Highland Park, but present nonetheless. A slight saltiness, toasted coconut, and tangerine are noted. With water added, it strongly resembled Bowmore Gold Reef, but with significantly less peat. It's quite good, but too potent to consume more than an ounce without dilution. The texture is full, oily, thick, coating the mouth, and slightly dry. The finish is medium in length, spicy, fruity, and has a salty-sweet profile. This is considerably better than the Fire Edition, yet the peat smoke is still not as prominent as I would prefer. Perhaps it's the whisky's age or the overwhelming intensity of the fruits. The nose doesn't foreshadow the intensity delivered on the palate; not at all. Personally, I believe the cask strength is excessive here, and reducing it to 48% might have been a wiser choice. But what do I know? Experiencing how pure ex-bourbon maturation affects Highland Park, I now understand that sherry casks are crucial. They impart a significant layer of complexity that is absent without them. Like the Fire Edition, this costs $300, which I find $200 too much. Nevertheless, it's a solid scotch, and I'd choose this over the Fire Edition any day. A respectable 4 out of 5. Thanks again to my friend. Cheers.

To begin this review properly, I must state that this bottling will be among my top ten for 2020. Highland Park Ice Edition is not only a remarkably crafted spirit that genuinely evokes a feeling of 'cold,' but it's also a satisfying drink. The bottle itself is stunning. I tried the Fire Edition first, released after this Ice Edition, and while I wasn't overly impressed with that one, I acknowledged that HP had created a whisky reminiscent of a volcano. Now, having experienced the Ice Edition, it all makes sense; the distillery presented us with a cold dram and a hot, spicy dram, aptly named Ice and Fire. I commend them. With that said, this striking green bottle arrives in a mountain-shaped case, symbolizing the 'fittingly chilly reflection of Nilfheim, one of the nine worlds of old Norse mythology and the birthplace of ice, frost and fog.' Bottled at 53.9% ABV. The aroma is exceptional. Upon opening, you get a scent of this whisky mingled with ice and mineral water. The initial sniff is dominated by salt and vanilla. Lemon meringue, with no alcohol presence; there's a COLD PEAT note – it's the only way to describe it. Vanilla ice cream: A whisky that feels cold always reminds me of vanilla ice cream. The peat is present in a refined, elegant manner. Elegant citrus. Similar to the scorched earth found in Highland Park Fire, but as if frozen. I must say, they promised fire and delivered; they promised ice and also delivered. These are collector's items, but for critics, they executed flawlessly. Pineapple and tropical fruits. Slightly ashy. It's evident they developed this one first, recognized its 'frozen qualities,' named it 'Ice Edition,' and then released the Fire Edition. After the first sip, it becomes more citrusy, with lemon. Dulce de leche. And that concludes the nose. The palate is a bit more 'approachable' but still excellent. Dulce de leche (toffee), Pepper. Another spice explosion, but a pleasant one. Mint liqueur, Tobacco, and Ashes. Prunes. It's like a potent peppermint breath candy. The finish is incredibly rewarding. I savored every moment. Peat, Pepper, Ashes. Dry grasses, Tobacco. Wisps of smoke. An astonishingly fantastic finish, so well-rounded, leaving you wanting more. So, this was remarkable. A truly enjoyable whisky, highly recommended, go buy it, at least for the beautiful bottle. An incredible dram, 98 out of 100. Cheers.

This is the companion whisky to the Fire Edition from Highland Park. The Ice Edition was released first, in 2016. It was matured for its entire 17 years in first-fill, ex-bourbon casks. It is non-chill filtered, has no added coloring, and was bottled at a robust, cask strength of 53.9% ABV. It has a light gold hue and forms quick legs in the tasting glass. The presentation is excessive, similar to the Fire version. A substantial pale, greenish-blue bottle is housed in a natural oak, mountain-shaped case. The aroma is the highlight: after getting past the fresh oak, you're treated to a wonderful mix of pineapple and tropical fruits. Smoked plantains also seem to drift around the glass, and if you inhale deeply, you detect peppery ginger notes just before the high ABV takes over. It's remarkably complex when you find the right balance. There's a pleasant vanilla creaminess upon tasting. Smoky oak embers are quickly overtaken by a powerful burn halfway through the sip. At this point, it becomes a drying, harsh experience. This is where any similarity to other Highland Park whiskies vanishes. In my opinion, it becomes a clone of American bourbon/rye whiskey. The finish is long and hot. That freshly split and charred oak dominates, and only in the final moments do the remnants of those tropical fruits detected on the nose reappear. Once you understand how the sip will proceed, it's quite enjoyable. That initial sip is rather surprising. Overall, this surpasses all expectations for a Highland Park and begins a new direction for what they could create and offer regularly. Some will dislike this due to its distinctiveness. Is it worth the $300 price tag? No, but I prefer this one over the Fire Edition. I give it 3.5 to 3.75 stars. Cheers.

Fantastic! This is more like it. After experiencing the Fire edition, I was anticipating much from the Ice. Another excellent sample from a friend, and they certainly have superb taste. The aroma offered intense tropical notes such as coconut, pineapple, cherries, pears, and vanilla, alongside woody components. The palate presents a perfect combination of salty brine and sweetness, mingled with some pinot grigio. I don't quite understand the name "Ice," as it makes me think more of "Earth" and islands. It doesn't burn at its stated alcohol content when neat, but a couple of drops of water improve it. The finish is creamy and full of vanilla and herbal notes, though it's only of medium length. I do wish it lasted a bit longer! It makes me curious about what a version of their Fire edition at 53.9% ABV aged for an additional 2 years would be like?? I rate it 4.5, and the theme for this dram is "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin.

Tasted blind, I would never have guessed this was a Highland Park. I might have thought it was a Highlander or Speysider, well-aged, but definitely from bourbon casks. Thanks to a friend, I got to sample this beauty. Toasted corn on the nose, with a slight burn if you inhale too deeply. Probably due to the high ABV. Now on the palate, I detect initial Highland Park DNA, but it quickly transitions into a more bourbon-like taste. A very different profile for Highland Park. I prefer this to the Fire, based on my memory at least. If this were about $150, it would be an easy decision. At close to $300, I'm not convinced I'd choose this over the amazing 18-year-old. Thanks to my friend for the sample!

A huge letdown for the price. It's a decent spirit, but not worth that much money. What's great: the texture is incredible, full, thick, almost like cream and truly outstanding. The aroma offers pleasant hints of tropical fruit, and the taste is intricate with fruit, vanilla, and cinnamon. It has very little peat, which is uncommon for this distillery, but not necessarily a negative – just unusual. What's not great: the finish is very spicy, almost to the point of being unbalanced – adding water will help significantly, especially given its high alcohol content. To sum up, I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away.