Highland Park 10 Year Old 2008 Spirits in the Sky

I hope this Corona virus crisis blows over quickly, for in November I would very much like to return to the best whisky festival in Belgium: Spirits in the Sky. Last year, Mario and his team released a single cask Highland Park in honour of their festival.

Very powerful nose on roast beef, raisins, plum liqueur, walnuts and a date marmalade like the one you’ll get served for breakfast in Tunisia. Honeysweet and umami. Chewing tobacco and a light smokiness like we are used to from Highland Park. But it must have been quite an active cask, considering that it was a refill hogshead!

On the palate as well, it is an immediate bomb! Dark sherry notes (dark fruit, cloves, chili peppers) joined by lots of umami traits like gravy and chewing tobacco. It’s grand, but at the same time just a tad too much for me. The smokiness is certainly bigger than the nose announced. This is truly a powerful flavour bomb.

The finish last forever, puts your saliva glands to work and ends with a beautiful trace of cherry juice.

I think this whisky will polarize. Some will find it outstanding, others will think it’s over the top. I’m afraid I’m with the second group. But it certainly is good.

Find where to buy Highland Park whisky