Berry Bros & Rudd Orkney Islands 1999

I don't really need to talk much about BBR, their history stretches back to 1698 along with all those other lovely colonial institutions...ahem moving on, I quite like the new label livery, it's simple and really pleases the design buff in me.

Single malt distilled in 1999, Orkney Islands, refill hogshead bottled in 2018 at 18 yrs of age for Kensington Wine Market in Calgary. Confirmed to be from Highland Park Distillery.

Nose: Mineral/flinty, vegetable oils, then with time some wildflower honey, light peat like burnt leaves/vegetation and lemon oil. There's a wave of menthol/camphor like things, old newspapers and a little sea breeze. It comes in subtle waves, no element dominates.

Palate: Oily, the smoky peat is more present here, kippers, mussels, savoury herbs, sweet earthy, waxy, kerosene lamps, beeswax, mineral white wine. Muscle cream/ointment.

Finish: Lemon peel, slightly beery, more mineral notes almost like mothballs. again more seafood in brine. It's not the longest finish but the development was so good that it's just a bit of rest before another round.

Notes: What a ride! I wasn't expecting to love this so much, if you've had The HP full volume, it's close but you can see hints of what casks like this do in the mix but also what a few proof points more do to help carry the flavour. Sherry forward Highland Park gets all the press but these last two whiskys have helped show me a new appreciation for how good their distillate is when given a decent ex-bourbon cask and some age.