Batch Differences in Highland Park 18?

I purchased a bottle a few months back for $88, but truth be told I've only had that 1 bottle (still 2/3 left) so I cannot tell ya if there's been any batch variation - however I've heard the same concerns from others on the internet...For what it's worth my bottle is quite nice.

@rigmorole, I haven't sampled much, but I'll share what I know. I bought my first bottle of HP 18 last summer and thought it was an excellent dram. My bottle is about 40% down by now, so maybe a bit of oxidation has taken place in the last six months or so.

Last month, I wanted to replenish my supply of HP 12, and the local store had the 12 on sale in a special package with a free 50cl sample of the 18. I did a back-and-forth comparison between the full bottle and the sample, and I found the sample to be slightly flatter, with a touch of dust not present in the full bottle, but they were still pretty close. If I hadn't tasted them side-by-side, I probably wouldn't have been disappointed in the sample.

Batch number of my full bottle is HEF001. Unfortunately, I threw the sample bottle away. (And if it had a number, I don't think I would have been able to read it. I could barely make out the number on the full bottle with a magnifying glass.) I'm guessing the sample was from a newer batch, but I don't know for sure.

I think all whiskies vary to a certain degree from batch to batch. I’ve read a couple of negative reviews of late but personally still find it to be a cracking dram, highly recommended and worth the cash. IMHO.