Well-aged Highland Park distilled back in May 1991 and kept in a 1st fill ex-Bourbon hogshead before being finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry. One of 201 bottles. Old and Dignified profile.
Nose: Incredibly savoury. Toasted pine cornels, fennel and sage provide a herbal start for what then turns into meaty treat – slow-roasted barbeque pork drenched in honey and soy sauce with hickory liquid smoke. Water brings out woody notes – sappy oak and tree pollens.
Taste: Meaty again – BBQ extract, beef bouillon, reduced stock and demi-glace with a scattering of herbs and seasoning. Smoked Sunday lunch! There’s more fruitiness here now though with heavily reduced berries, sugar-coated fruits, sultanas and salted peanuts and almonds. The addition of water reduces some of the more saccharine fruits and adds sourness and woody flavours.
Finish: Long with beef stock and salted nuts.
A fascinating umami-style Highland Park which offers great translation from nose to palate and an array of well-defined rich smoky (and meaty) flavours. Highly complex.