Highland Park 17 Year Old 1992 Cadenhead's

Independent Highland Park is hard to find these days, but it used to be quite different. Take this 17 years old HP from Cadenhead’s in their famous Authentic Collection for example. The alcohol content is a flabbergasting 64%, which probably means the spirit was put to sleep at a higher ABV than the industry standard of 63.5%. Where is my water?

The nose is very sturdy indeed, because of the ABV. It is sweet and powerful. Dark and sweet, even. After the first alcoholic burn, I get dark honey, stone fruit, sultanas, a hint of banana, but also a sour touch as if from rotting oranges. Melon? Loads of earthy notes too. And it works fine. This is very inviting. Water not only makes it somewhat sweeter, but also more sour. Loads of heather. To be honest, I preferred the nose without the water.

On the palate, it is quite scorching, murking the taste somewhat. I do get some honey and lots of yellow fruit, but it is too hot to appreciate undiluted. But unfortunately water does not make it better. It gets some chemical sweetness, while the sour note becomes louder still.

The finish is very long and leaves the mouth completely dry. Diluted the effect is less so, but it also loses a lot of flavor.

Neat it is quite alright, but it does not take water well. Not a swimmer at all. This one even drowned with only a little bit of water. Thank you, Imanuel, for the very generous sample.

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