11/12/2023 Highland Park

Highland Park 15yo 2006/2021 (55%, Duncan Taylor The Octave, 15y in Oak Cask + 5mo in Octave, C#5032775, 88b): nose: toffee, melted butterscotch and rum-soaked raisins give a mince-pie impression that is particularly adequate, given the time of year. In fact, it is mincemeat or black-pudding stuffing through and through, with mixed peel, sultanas, and a binding gravy made of yeast, flour, and spirit -- closer to Cognac than rum, come to think of it. Fruit brandy(grapes)-infused toffee, resting on a Teflon tray. It has but a minute note of wood, hardly more than a ghost, really, before gently settling for cooling porridge. The second nose is deeper and earthier, flirting with damp coffee grounds and plump wild mushrooms. Mouth: a lot sweeter than expected, almost dripping with maple syrup (or is it Golden Syrup?) that suddenly morphs into... whisky! What I mean by that is that it becomes that generic alcoholic drink that populated every drinks cabinet in the late 1980s, early 1990s. One point for time-travel, zero point for character. It is as bland and, frankly, unpleasantly unremarkable as they come. Maybe there is a mild lick of wood, armchair style? The second sip is earthier, just as the nose was. It has cold coffee and liquorice bootlaces that become liquorice-root shavings over time, roasted aniseed, cinnamon splinters, and few nigella seeds. It is also rather potent: numbs the taste buds alright. Finish: it picks up in the finish, thankfully. Here, we have a pastry-like sweetness, and, if it does not turn into mince pie, it must fall somewhere between raisins, candied figs, and blackcurrant-flavoured chewy sweets. The second gulp is fresher: it adds a minty toothpaste or mouthwash that coats every pore of the mouth, and rightly alters the sense of taste as a result. in the same way that brushing teeth or using Listerine alters one's taste so wildly that eating straight afterwards is a bad idea. This is drinkable, but not something that I would rush to acquire. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)