Review by: Raygun

Another unnamed Orkney that we all know is Highland Park. Always had a soft spot for HP after making the 12 my first ever bottle of Scotch. Lately the OBs have largely disappointed, even the single casks. IBs have been better, and a refill sherry cask like this is promising. Trying another Sansibar is a bonus as well, as I’ve had very little from them. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Highland Park

Bottler: Sansibar

Region/style: Island single malt Scotch

ABV: 54.7% 

Age: 21 years. Distilled in 1999. 

Cask type: Refill sherry

Color: 0.6 old gold. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: Was about $70

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Nose: That’s nice. Has a floral aspect to it, and some sweet spice, cardamom especially. Very malty, with only a little sherry influence. Rice pudding. 

Palate: Caramel tart. Dates with honey. Richer than the nose suggested, again with a distinctly floral flavor and a sprinkling of spices. More sherry flavor here, with raisins and dried cherries. Cocoa powder. As usual with Highland Park, the peat is barely noticeable to me. Does well with time in the glass. 

Finish: Molasses, malt, and caramel tart. I get some black tea on the back and some orange zest. Still has the nice sprinkling of spices. Chocolate syrup and almonds. The oak gets a little heavy, but there’s a touch of sandalwood too that I like a lot. 

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Conclusion: Not a very typical Highland Park. Very different from the jet fuel OB sherry casks: for the better, I might add. The spice flavor isn’t something I’d picked up much from other HP bottlings. Came close to an 8, but ultimately I felt the oak was a tad strong. It is pretty unique and I appreciate that. 

Buy a bottle? Good, but would need to be great for the price and it’s not quite there.

Score: 84

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)