Review by: Raygun

Rites of Passage is a new label, with four releases in 2022. It was established by Epicurean Selection, a company that started out importing sake. Came across some of their products at a local shop and I was curious, especially after seeing very high Whiskybase scores. This was quite reasonably priced, so figured I’d try it to see if that hype was merited. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Orkney (Highland Park) 

Bottler: Rites of Passage

Region/style: Islands single malt Scotch

ABV: 59.3%

Age: 16 years. Distilled on July 21, 2006; bottled on September 22,  2022. 

Cask type: First-fill oloroso barrel #37, 287 bottles. An oloroso barrel isn’t something you see every day, and I wonder if it’s not actually a hogshead. 

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: $128

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Nose: Chocolate fudge, dates, dried cranberries, wet earth. Very chocolatey kind of oloroso cask. There’s a sharpness to it at full strength. Shows better with time and water. More chocolate, and chai spice.   

Palate: On the sweet side. Chocolatey, with a side of dried fruit. Cranberries, dried blueberries, candied orange. It’s earthy, but not peaty in a noticeable way. Fortunately, very minimal sulfur either, which has been an issue in sherried Highland Park. Maybe a touch, but it’s mild. Benefits from some water again

Finish: Rich and fudgy. A nice tartness. Blueberries. Still pretty sweet for oloroso, but also tannic. Has some mole sauce. Chai tea.    

Conclusion: Doesn’t justify the high WB score, in my opinion. It’s a tasty Highland Park. Certainly better than the OB single casks I’ve had, which tended to be hot messes, not to mention more expensive. The blueberry and chocolate notes are very nice. Don’t find it transcendent. It is very good, especially with some time to open up. I won’t have any trouble finishing the bottle. 

Buy again? Not at the level where I need another. 

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)