Highland Park “Hjarta”, 12 years old, 58.1%, £65
Rich, deep and muscular on the nose and palate. Notes of caramel/butterscotch-coated citrus (lemon, Clementine) honeyed tropical fruit (coconut, pineapple), peaches & cream, creamy vanilla, ripe barley, along with more subtle smoke, cut grass, and ginger. Firm, dry, resinous grip on the finish keeps all this sweetness in check. Rather expensive for its age, but not for its quality. Very impressive! (Available only at the Highland Park distillery, their on-line shop, and in Scandinavia.)
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 92
I wish Highland Park would make more cask-strength expressions like this available in general release…
Highland Park does not get the respect that it’s stable mates (The Macallan and Glenrothes )do. They could do so much more with this label, it’s a shame.If Edrington would invest in a few more stills and infrastructure like they did with The Macallan, I think this whisky could be in class all its own.
I too wish for more expressions, especially Cask strength.I look forward to sampling the Hjarta 12 the next time I,m in the UK.
Gerry, please hang on to a case until the Dell crew gets there next March!!! We can’t wait to try it.
Mark, I agree with you on that. Looks like they are, at least for now, heading in the opposite direction.
This seems very similar to one of the Single Cask releases available exclusively for the state of Texas, one an 11yo @ 59.6% abv and another 14yo I think. Reasonably priced @ $69US. If anyone is in the area the 11yo is widely available in Dallas. With a splash of water it has some characteristics of the 25yo OB.
Pity is, that thy only ship in the UK from the online shop.
So a lot of people will miss out on this excellent dram.
BG, I feel your pain. That would include me. My little sample is gone.
Indeed it’s a Super dram! very hard it was to get it to Israel, but i managed.
indeed, i call on HP to issues more CS versions (i got the Earl Magnus and will get the 10 Yr special bottling for Whislylive London) but more widespread CS will be great.
i love HP more than the Macallan and i think it’s a top notch distillery. a league of its own.
Go Go Orkeney!