52°
Distillery : Highland Park - Islands
Hogsheads
Independent Bottling
By Signatory Vintage
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2024
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Peated around 20 ppm
When this release came out a little less than two years ago, I seriously considered buying it but never actually did. It was intriguing because it was matured in hogsheads, which might lead one to believe the spirit would hold its own. On the other hand, it’s not a single cask and is diluted to 52% ABV. There’s no indication of how many bottles were released, or of the exact peat level, which can vary with this distillery. Given the uncertainty, I decided to hold off, but I’ve always wanted to taste it at least once to form my own opinion. Now I’ve finally done so.
Let's Taste It :
Candied banana, then it opens up beautifully, with iodine, a hint of peat, lemon chutney, and heather, of course. Pulpy plums, candle wax, sweet potatoes, grapefruit. Subtle mineral notes. On the palate, it’s smooth and syrupy, orgeat, lychees, limoncello, clove and black pepper. A fairly long finish, very pleasant without being too powerful, shortbread, palets breton cookies, a generous pinch of coarse salt, shards of charcoal, beach sand, dried seaweed, very light woody bitterness. Kumquat.
In Short,
At first I found it interesting, but not particularly moving, there was a bit too much citrus for my taste, though it was balanced by a waxy note—still, it was a bit unusual. But then the finish won me over, I found it perfect, still very citrusy, but with shortbread biscuits and a sea breeze that came together beautifully. All in all, I think there are a few minor flaws, but it’s still a good product, though a bit pricey. There are better things from the same distillery, but they aren’t necessarily any easier to find.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Them - Find the Time
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