Whisky Discovery #68

Highland Park 30 Year Old (48.1% abv OB Bottled 2012)

Island Single Malt Whisky

Circa £200 70cl

Tweet Tasting HP30

Until the launch of the 40 year old, this was the flagship variant of the Highland Park range and first released in April 2005. By its very nature, this whisky is only available in limited quantities. It is, however, worth seeking out as the ultimate expression of the distillery’s character. 

Highland Park 30 Year Old merits time and attention. It has spent 30 years maturing so treat it with respect; you’ll discover the characteristic fudge sweetness together with complex aromatic spices and dark chocolate orange. It has a drying finish, leaving a gentle smoky flavour and a mildly salty aftertaste – the result of 30 years ageing in the Orkney sea spray.

This whisky is a winner of many awards including a Platinum award from the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute.

My favourite tweet during the HP30 tasting came from @LRWhisky: who tweeted "Earth, peat, fire, smoke, dark sherried fruits. A bear hug of a dram!"

So what did I think?

Colour: Similar to the 25, and a dark ruddy golden, clear and bright

Nose: Very rich, Thick cut marmalade and polished wood (mature oak) then the sherry comes through.chocolate, fudge  Spicy dried fruit, less vanilla but more citrus. Some floral notes develop with the hint of honey.

Palate: Full, rich burst of flavour; soft honey; nutty toffee The palate is warm and rich. Notes of winter spice and sherried raisins, hints of mixed peels and honey sweetness. There's a little rum note somewhere in the mix too.

Finish: Rich, long and surprisingly sweet initially, eventually trailing to a salty tang at the end

Way beyond my current budget constraints, but a worthy dram none the less.