Review by: The Muskox

Phew, it’s been a while. My triumphant return to Maltrunners is… this relatively run-of-the-mill indie-bottled Highland Park. Don’t worry, it’ll get more exciting from here.

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Distillery: Highland Park.

Bottler: Elixir Distillers.

Region: Islands.

ABV: 60.4%. Cask strength.

Age: 14 years. Distilled August 21st 2006. Bottled August 26th 2020.

Cask type: Cask #45, a hogshead.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.2, Pale straw. No colour added. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Neat, the alcohol is nose-curdling. Banana and yellow plum. Salt spray, seaweed, and leather. Everything else is overwhelmed by the ethanol.

It’s still hot with the first dribble of water, there’s yellow bell pepper and melted butter. Another dribble and there’s black pepper, wet slate, and licorice.

Palate: Light body, silky texture. Arrives with lemon curd, pine, and black pepper, along with ethanol heat. Develops quickly to rich maltiness and earthy, leathery peat smoke.

The first dribble of water brings baked apples, more melted butter, and smoked tea. Hints of pineapple. More water brings pencils.

Finish: Medium. Tobacco smoke. Vanilla icing. Krispy Kreme donuts. 

With the water, it’s longer and oolong-er. Milk chocolate and hazelnuts. Wet gravel.

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Conclusion: This took a while but got there in the end. The mix of yellow fruit, butter, and earthy smoke is just delicious. Water is absolutely mandatory for this one. This is the kind of whisky where I feel like I need the go through the whole bottle to find the exact right amount to add.

Final Score: 84.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.