Highland Park The Light 17 Year

We're nearing the end of these HP tastings. Tonight we open The Light, one of two special releases, the other being The Dark. Both are 17 years old, beautifully packaged, and priced at AUD$399.99. Considering the standard 18 is exceptional and only AUD$250, there needs to be something extraordinary within The Light and Dark. The Light was created to commemorate warm summer days in Orkney, according to HP marketing. From the HP website: "Made to honor a time when we emerge from winter hibernation, ready to embrace the fresh air, clear skies and long days of summer, the whisky is light and bright. Its delicious warm-season-friendly palate is the result of 17 years' maturation in refill American oak casks, which have a more gentle influence than first-fill European oak casks… Orcadian Summer in a bottle." Nose: Yes, floral peat is prominent and absolutely excellent! There is vibrant citrus, crisp juicy apple, honied malt, a touch of toasty wood, and some background wood spice. Palate: Good viscosity, balancing between oily and creamy. Vibrant and tongue-tickling fruit salad of mango, banana, and peach with extra sweetness from hard candy pear drops. Restrained perfumed wood (sandalwood/cedarwood? I can never tell the difference) accompanies the honey-malt cereals which fade to a soft butterscotch. Through it all, the peat is a faint presence with a perfumed-floral and slightly peppery influence. Adding water does nothing for me but mutes everything into a longer, but milder and less pronounced imitation of itself. Finish: Long. Oily to waxy and loaded with pepper, citrus peel, a building smoke, and a background biscuit note. Brilliant stuff. Clean, sharp, bright, and superbly executed. If this is Orkney Summer bottled, then that's where I want to spend my summer. I've mentioned over the last several HP tastes that the standout for me from HP is the floral peat on the nose; when that carries over to the palate, they are just fantastic. This Light isn't a competitor to the 18 but rather stands beside it. The sherry influence isn't present in The Light; this is purely about the heather and the malt, and they are showcased extremely well. The downside, however, is that this might be a bit too simple, lacking some more interest and character. I'd also venture to say that despite how summery it is, the marketing, and how wonderful the box is; The Light is overpriced when you consider the 18 exists. Even if they aren't direct competitors, the 18 is just too good to let this take the spotlight. [Pictured here with this dram's Viking-themed rock: a garnet-pyroxenite from the Bergen Arc near Holsnøy in Norway. This rock represents some complex mantle geology that occurred during the shearing of a subjected slab of oceanic crust during the Caledonian Orogeny ~500-440 million years ago.] ⁣ HP Running ranking (mostly for my benefit): 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25

Nose: Light, almost ethereal malt with a citrus tang. Vanilla, green apple, and the brine found in mussel packaging. The characteristic honey-sweetness of Highland Park is present but understated. There's no discernible peat smoke, but perhaps a hint of barrel char. The nose initially seems reserved but opens up as the dram sits in the glass. It becomes more relaxed and deeper with a splash of water. Palate: Sweet, crisp malt and definite smoke upon entry. Tangy, bittersweet citrus (yellow grapefruit, sour orange) quickly develop, becoming a prominent feature. Grassy, herbal notes and fruit salad are present, but the fruits lean towards tart rather than sweet, sometimes bordering on astringent. Tastes of the seashore and minerals, with oysters, brine, and a touch of white pepper. Adding water significantly mellows the profile, revealing more ashy smoke and barley-sugar notes that complement the bright fruits beautifully. The texture is creamy and has good weight both neat and diluted. Finish: Medium/Long. Crisp, unripe fruits transition into chocolate and a faint memory of peat smoke. The finish's character changes little with dilution, but water does extend its duration. This is an unusual Highland Park, matured entirely in bourbon casks, thus lacking some of the distillery's typical robust characteristics. It presents as quite medicinal and coastal on both the nose and palate, reminiscent of non-peated Caol Ila. A sharp, crystalline quality pervades the spirit; I found it refreshing and invigorating neat, but more approachable with a small dash of water. After two neat nosings and sips, I added water and observed that the longer the dram rested, the more I enjoyed it. Whether this was due to my acclimatization to the profile or oxidation, I cannot say, but I did feel it improved over time. Sampled from a 30ml portion. This is a very good whisky, potentially excellent, but be advised that if you prefer Highland Park with sherry-wood maturation, you might find this too tangy and sharp. "Very Good": 87/100 (4.25 stars)

I enjoyed The Dark; I wouldn't be reviewing this otherwise, as it was quite expensive. A liquor representative I know provided The Dark during a tasting, so I understood what I was getting into when I purchased it. A previous positive encounter with its sibling bottle led me to this one. Let's see if the other side of the spectrum compares. Nose: Smoky and sulfuric. Notes of caramel, saltwater taffy, and vanilla. Floral hints. Aromas of apple, pear, and grape. Undertones of almond, macadamia, and walnut. Faint black bean and red pepper chili. Spices like clove, nutmeg, white pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Palate: Hints of saltwater taffy and caramel. Flavors of pineapple, coconut, gala apple, pear, and apricot. Notes of peanut/almond butter. Sweetness of marshmallow, vanilla, toffee, and malt. A touch of custard. Very subtle peat. Notes of clementine and orange. Finish: Noticeable warmth. Flavors of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and white pepper. Earthy peat. Lingering notes of apple, pear, pineapple, and apricot. Hints of almond, macadamia, and walnut. Oak. What can be said about this one? It's an incredibly pure whisky. Maybe excessively so. The aroma was almost imperceptible; I had to focus intently just to gather enough notes for a description. The body and finish were superior and possessed more character. It's a decent counterpoint to The Dark, but definitively not the superior choice of the pair. At $300, high expectations were set. So while it may seem like I'm criticizing it harshly, much of my disappointment stems from the elevated standard—especially since I can't mentally separate this from its companion. It lives up to its name, “The Light,” and performs sufficiently to avoid being called “The Lightweight.” Refreshing at 52.9%. Well-balanced. 3.5/5.

The aroma is purely alcohol. The sweetness of apricot and honey is pleasant. It evokes memories of Bushmill's 21, though with significantly more intensity. There's a hint of stale bread, but it's not overly unpleasant. A subtle richness lingers in the background, just enough to impart a slightly nutty character. Some spice is present, and the alcohol is somewhat apparent, yet the overall flavor remains enjoyable. It lacks extraordinary complexity, but its general taste profile is quite good. The individual notes are excellent, with no masking of their presence. The flavors are quite good, albeit a little subdued and not exceptionally intricate. It has a somewhat light taste. It contains some mineral and off-putting bread notes mingled with honey, smoke, and a touch of peat. The balance is actually quite good, harmonizing elements that are not typically found together. The complexity is pleasing, and it possesses a good amount of character. This is the most successful execution of a stale bread flavor I have ever experienced. Hints of pear and orange blossom are also present and quite lovely, along with some nice salty sea spray and a surprisingly sharp (though still quite moderate) spice. The spice leans more towards pepper (a combination of white herbal notes and dark richness) rather than cinnamon. There's some influence from the cask, but not a tremendous amount for a 17-year-old spirit. It's certainly not a weak drink, despite its mild flavors. 'Valkyrie' would have been a fitting name for this. This is truly a delightful spirit, but it's not mind-blowing and doesn't justify the high price. At $100, it might be worth purchasing.

Nearly everything from Highland Park is excellent. The northernmost distilleries in Scotland are also recognized for their incredible marketing and "collections," drawing from Viking and smuggler themes (who were also Vikings). This is one of my preferred distilleries. I'm reviewing Highland Park 17yo The Light, part of a two-bottle collection (the other being "the Dark"), inspired by the Orkney seasons. This bottling represents spring and summer. Bottled at 52.9% ABV, we can anticipate a wide range of flavors. On the nose, it's citrusy and slightly peaty, with artificial tangerine and orange notes. A subtle hint of Highland Park's traditional peat and burnt grass are present. A pleasant aroma, with lemon and a faint chocolate note emerging after breathing. On the palate, it becomes very mineral and salty, with a coastal, earthy character. Primarily mineral and coastal notes lead to a chocolate explosion on the finish. After the initial sips, vanilla becomes noticeable as your palate adjusts to the peatiness and minerals. The finish is lovely, featuring chocolate with peat and an ashy spiciness. An incredible aftertaste that leaves a pleasant warmth on the lips, typical of other HP expressions. Overall, this is a beautiful dram. While a bit pricey, it's a lovely bottle with great contents. My score is 94 out of 100.

Nose - (without water) Light smoke, fresh pears, hay, light floral honey, hint of salt. (with water) Smoke is almost gone, pears, hay/grass, honey. Taste - (without water) Light smoke, pears, hint of caramel, light honey, light salt, lightly drying, white pepper spice/heat. (with water) Light smoke reappears, more black pepper than white pepper tingle, light oaky bitterness emerges in addition to the flavors without water. Finish - (without water) Light tingle/heat, lingering light smoke, golden simple sugar, hints of pear, honey, lemon zest. (with water) Light tingle/heat remains, hint of oaky bitterness, pear, honey, salt, lemon zest. Score - 82/100 Final Thoughts - This surprisingly drank well below its proof. The nose wasn't too punchy for the proof. Nice balance of smoke, fruit, & sweet. Adding water softened the nose a bit but brought out some oaky bitterness that wasn't bad, but slightly distracting. I think this one is tasty and I could see myself reaching for this occasionally, but not at its current price point. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No