Who doesn't love Highland Park?

...Someone who hasn't tried it yet.

Let's talk about Highland Park

There are currently five standard Highland Park bottlings - a 12 ($47), 15 ($60), 18 ($100), 25 ($269) and a 30 ($350, a special limited-time price - normally $380)*

There are differences in the younger Highland Parks that transcend the time spent in cask - both the 12 year old and the 18 year old are the products of approximately 10% bourbon casks and 90% sherry casks, with 40-50% of the sherry casks being first fill. Both expressions have dried fruit flavors (raisins) with spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) and the expected sweet toffee and sherry flavors. The 18 is less peaty than the 12, but you can taste the connection between the two. I prefer the 18 year old.

The recently introduced 15 year old, on the other hand, is more than just a price point between the 12 and 18 - being the product of roughly 50% sherry cask and 50% bourbon casks. As a result the 15 is a very different whisky than its younger and older siblings - with more vanilla, citrus and floral flavors than the 12 and 18. Quite tasty.

The 25 year old is produced from 10% bourbon casks and 90% sherry casks, with 55% of the sherry casks being first fill. Dried fruit - more wood - and after 25 years in wood the peat has been overwhelmed by the other rich flavors in the cask. It is full bodied and surprisingly bright for something so long in the cask. 50.7% ABV.

The 30 year old, introduced just last year, has a higher percentage of bourbon cask whisky in the mix, and the result is more distinct vanilla notes than the 25, and quite a bit more mellow. - 48.1% ABV.

If you haven't tried Highland Park, you should as soon as possible. Highland Park consistently makes the top ten list of whisky lovers around the world, and has won numerous awards and accolades within the industry - with good reason - it is an incredible whisky.

Let's talk about cask 3262

This past Wednesday I traveled to Washington DC to attend a dinner & tasting to celebrate the imminent release of a very limited bottling of Highland Park.

The tasting was led by the entertaining Caspar MacRae, brand ambassador for The Macallan - sister distillery of Highland Park - and included all of the Highland Park expressions mentioned above.

The Wine Specialist (a Washington DC purveyor with the best selection of Single Malts in the DC metro area) commissioned Highland Park for a special single cask/cask strength bottling - the choice was cask 3262 - a second fill sherry oak cask. Distilled in 1981 and bottled (very recently) in 2006, this 25 year old yielded 84 bottles at 47.9% ABV. Very rich and intense, sweet with citrus, florals, and lots of spice. A hint of salt and a hint of smoke.

There are now only 83 bottles in existence as one bottle was ravenously devoured by the dinner guests.

Now here is the kicker - the Wine Specialist 25 year old single cask/cask strength bottling is going for $219 - not only is it less expensive than the standard 25, but in my estimation it is even better.

My sources tell me that Highland Park is seriously considering doing away with the single cask bottling program, so who knows how long you have to grab bottling like these.

Only available from The Wine Specialist - Buy one now. (Contact Information below)

Now let's talk about food

For the "Foodies" out there: the dinner took place at Bobby Van's Steakhouse and was absolutely fantastic. All of the course were created using single malt scotch, and each course was accompanied by one of the Highland Park expressions.

Appetizers: Smoked Salmon with Horseradish and Single Malt Jelly; Tuna & Watermelon cubes with a Honey Malt glaze; Chicken skewers with Basil and single malt rub

First Course: Scotch Eggs over a Frezzie of bacon salad with sherry vinegar single malt dressing

Second Course: Mango & Walnut single malt sorbet

Main course: Braised short ribs of beef; Stuffed tomato confit of eggplant with single malt scotch demi-glaze

Dessert: Single malt creme brulee

The Wine Specialist
2115 M St. NW
Washington DC 
Toll Free: (800) 832-0704   
Phone: 202-833-0707   
Fax: 202-833-9507   
Hours: Mon - Sat, 10 - 9

Bobby Van's Steakhouse
1201 New York Avenue
Washington, DC
Phone: 202-589-1504

* prices from The Wine Specialist

Comments

[Quentin]

I will have to check this out tomorrow when I am in downtown DC. I recently had the pleasure of talking with the staff at this great store about their Scotch selection and walked out with a 21 year old Prime Malt bottling of Bowmore. I haven't tried it yet, but at less than what I paid for the Cooper's Choice 1990 Bowmore (a fantastic expression), I still expect great things.