21/09/2022 Highland Park

Highland Park 18yo 1960/1978 (43°, OB imported by G.F. Ferraretto): nose: a delicate smoke cloaks an otherwise sweet first impression, whether it is caramelising compote or Golden Syrup sticking to the pot. We also have chewy strawberry sweets (that will be a chemical fruitiness) and scented soap. Oh! it is not a 1972 Edradour, but it has a faintly-soapy side alright. That is well balanced by drying heather sprigs and that refined smoke. Far in the background are desiccated pineapple and hollowed-out coconut shells, slowly growing louder, yet they never overtake the soapy-smoky layer. There is probably a pinch of dust somewhere too, that seems to morph into ground white pepper, with time. Strange. Then, we go back to jam (orange marmalade) and flower-scented hand soap. The second nose adds toasted notes to the lot: black cumin, black cardamom, hot (not burnt) tyres. It then goes back to scented soap, a blend of lavender and black cumin. It is fresh as an early-morning walk in the woods in autumn -- yes, there is some humus in this. Mouth: soft and darker, the attack is all about dark honey, setting in the jar. A thin smoke subtly hovers over it, but that is swiftly swapped for rose-petal jelly. Not for long, mind! The smoke comes back promptly, although it is still delicate. Over time, set honey turns into pouring honey, whether acacia, prickle-pear, or manuka, and sees the addition of dusted charred wood -- just a sprinkle, but still. It is blissfully elegant, and integrated exquisitely. Repeated sipping adds a heather-smoked-ham note, even if that stays very much in the background. Fruits also appear, that become riper and juicier with time (from crisp apple chunks to decaying apple dipped in wine). Finish: mellow and perhaps hard to pick apart. The same notes do another round: honey, marmalade, scented soap, gentle smoke. A certain bitterness appears, in this finish. Far from a nuisance, it is the obvious influence of the Sherry cask, rather than strong rubber. A diluted Kluwak-nut broth might just be the closest equivalent. The second sip brings back honey of the pouring kind, very light and liquid, and adds dried leaves, crumpled, trodden-upon, and broken down into minuscule bits, almost a powder. In fact, that lavender-and-black-cumin hand-soap aspect turns into a forest-clearing-in-autumn feeling, which is rather topical, considering autumn starts today. Further sips reinforce that feeling with seasonal fruits -- heirloom apples now replace the pineapple from the nose. At a push, it has cured peaches, or smoked plums. After a full dram, the soft bitterness does take off, and does turn into new rubber -- again, not a nuisance. At no point do I detect the marijuana that some people I know found in this. Excellent dram, without a doubt, yet I cannot help but feel I should be more excited about it than I am. 8/10