Category Archives: Highland Park
Highland Park 12yo 1997
Whisky: Highland Park 1997 Vintage, 40%
R550 ≈ £50
This has an emphasis on American oak ex-sherry casks but also has refill European ex-sherry casks in the vatting. It’s style is meant to be closely related to the 16yo and 21yo HPs – which is a concern for me as the 21yo is excellent, but I’m not particularly fond of the 16yo. This expression was released in July 2009, exclusively for travel retail, but is not part of the core travel retail range that was recently released, details of those on What Does John Know.
Nose: Thick oak notes. Earthy; damp underbrush of mulch. The burnt, crispy top of a crème brulée. A certain maltiness present. Good but not great.
Taste: More malt. Light body and middle of the range. Astringent. A hint of lit matches and a barely detectable sweetness of lychees and caramel.
Finish: The whisky emerges here with some character and finally shines. A long, smooth finish with a sultry smoke undercurrent. Gentlest sprinkle of pepper and a drop of sweet ‘n sour sauce.
My Score: 75
The finish shows some of the Highland Park magic I was expecting, but its too little too late. All in all I’m disappointed with this one, more like the 16yo than the 21yo. The core HP expressions, 12yo & 18yo, have set the bar so high, some of the special releases seem to have trouble competing.
Other Scores: Couldn’t find any.
