Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) with Free Glenfarclas Heritage Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Buy Highland Park 18 Year Old and get a Glenfarclas Heritage FREE! *while bonus stocks last.

Notes for Highland Park 18yo: Perhaps more than standing stones, Neolithic settlements, a Viking Cathedral and Norse sagas, Orkney is famous for two distillieries: Scapa and Highland Park. The latter at 18 years of age has earned a place in the Scotch Whisky pantheon as one of the 'classics'. In short, a whisky every one should experience. Or, in the words of spirits writer, F.Paul Pacault, "It fits my profile of what makes a perfect whisky. Which is to say it’s totally in harmony. There are no rough edges and everything is melded together brilliantly". Slow-burning, aromatic peat from Hobbister Moor and Sherry seasoned European oak casks result in a style that was once evocatively described as "...An empty honey jar which once held peaty embers." We received a sample in late 2017. The whisky offers a sophisticated sniff evoking nuances of dried fruits (fig, dates), honey, gristy malt and delicate brush strokes of sweet smoke is followed by hints of waxy apple, orange spice cake, choc ripple cookie and cinnamon. After 5-10 minutes the nose drops off leaving dark chocolate and trace sulphur. Honeyed barley and sherry notes beautifully harmonise with earthy peat; the sweetness balanced by orange zest and a touch of salt...rebounds in the aftertaste. Almost full circle round the flavour wheel, and for that reason, one of the most quintessential of all Scotch single malts. Some tasters found the Sherry input slightly less than years gone by, but otherwise, about as good as it's been since the inaugural 1997. 43% Alc./Vol. 95 points

Other reviews... Gentle peat, soft toffee, floral notes, and honey on the beautifully fragrant nose. Superbly balanced on the velvety palate, with brittle toffee, stewed fruits, peat, honey, and a hint of coffee. Smoke and more toffee mingle in the long, elegant finish. 94 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2012)

… Nose: An empty honey jar which once held peaty embers. An enormous nose which seems to improve with each bottle I sample, though the characterstic salted butter is always present. Fabulous. Palate: Beautifully sweet: even sweeter than the 12 year old with peat on the back of the palate. Beautifully chewy, oily and substantial. Finish: Still peaty and now a little oaky. Cocoa and toffee cream compexity. Comment: This has to be my favourite Highland Park of them all, and each new bottle I taste (this was my sixth sample) seems to underline the overall class and consistency of this distillery. Brilliant.. 95.5 points - Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Notes for Glenfarclas Heritage: You're likely to find this no-age-statement expression on mainland Europe rather than the UK - let alone Australia. Its old-gold colour suggests more bourbon than sherry input, but we'd heard it talked up as one of the distillery's better values and were intrigued enough to ship a small quantity. There are two things we like about this whisky: The first is the price. The second is even at an entry-level ABV you get a surprisingly full-bodied dram - considerably richer and rounder than Glenfarclas's official release 10 year old, which leads us to think some older material is in the mix. One quibble is a sulphury note that comes across like pickled ginger, or perhaps, a vague nuttiness. However you describe it, it detracts from the sweetness and dulls the finish. Add water or a few drops of peated whisky to subdue it, but if that character doesn't bother you, then this simple, tasty, honest malt lives up to its reputation as a hidden value in the Glenfarclas stable. 40% Alc./Vol. 88 points