Highland Park 18 Year Old
HP 12's Assertive Big Brother
0 492
Review by @UisgeJon
- Nose21
- Taste24
- Finish24
- Balance23
- Overall92
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Distribution of ratings for this:
- Brand: Highland Park
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Island
- ABV: 43%
If you read my previous review of the Macallan 18, you know that the Macallan ended up in my hand on accident... and what a beautiful accident it was! However, THIS is really what I came to order. Treating myself to the Macallan 18 and the Highland Park 18 in one night was a fantastic desicion.
Nose: Peat, campfire smoke, swirling with fruit and sherry. I love it. A bit of saltiness there too, which is great. Quiet, but powerful. Balanced.
Palate: My kind of dram. Warm, peaty, smoky, but really remarkably intricated with fruits, salt and sweetness. You get the best of all worlds here. The mesquite campfire smoke is incredibly enjoyable. Biiiiig smiles here!
Finish: Long, oaky, smoky, warm... in my opinion, the way it should be. A swirl of sherry and fruit creeps back into view too, reminding you that they're thre.
Putting this next to the Macallan 18 is a tough prospect. Both incredibly delightful drams, for two very different reasons. For a straight-up sweetness and sherry influence, Mac 18 is perfect. For the smokiness and more complexity, HP 18 is a gem. Can't compare the two, they are both delightful depending on what you're in the mood for.
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This is interesting ! I just had both the glenrothes select reserve and hp 18 last week. I wonder if the hp 18 has been open for awhile when you ordered it because it has the tendency to go towards the smoky route after its been open. At my scotch event we cracked the bottle open then and there...so there were a lot if tannins and sherry/maraschino profile white the smoke was secondary. My hp st. Magnus had a dark chocolate plum coffee profile at first and 3 months later it was Britney. But all in all the characteristics were great and yummy