TWE A Fine Christmas Malt 16 yr

This was my addition to a recent large family get-together. A specific producer offers a yearly holiday malt, and the previous year's (2021) was this 16-year-old from Orkney, which is Highland Park. It came from a total of 5 casks, comprised of 3 hogsheads and 2 sherry casks. The aroma presents mild smoke but is surprisingly fruity, with notes of pineapple, grilled lemon, and a whisper of tobacco. The flavor is a bit smokier but quite restrained, emphasizing Christmas spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, oranges, and red berries. It's a very unusual profile for Highland Park, featuring some chocolate and maple syrup. This is an exceptional whisky with a fantastic value. I believe I purchased it for around $100-120. It's the finest Highland Park I've had, surpassed only by an older bottling of the 18-year-old. It's remarkable how good Highland Park can be, if only they could move past their Viking marketing obsession.