Released during the dark of winter, this expression from Highland Park focuses on the winter months. It is a 17yr old single malt, matured in European oak seasoned sherry casks and bottled at cask strength. I am happy to see an age statement here, on this expression, though. I originally thought this was a release from them using genuine first fill sherry casks, but I see now that I was a bit off. I have a hypothesis that 15+yr CS FF sherried maturation HP is my Orkeny endgame, but I suppose Ill need to keep hunting that ~~fish~~ whale. In the meantime, lets see how this is!
The price tag is quite high, around $200-$250, The Dark is not for every budget, especially when there is Highland Park Full Volume which has just conquered the market with its price and performance ratio! Though it is beautifully crafted, hıgh proof and one-off product!
The only thing I don’t like about it is the price. Though that’s likely a trend we’ll never again see recede. As whisky popularity continues to rise, old stocks will continue to be increasingly rare and the premium or honey barrels will be released with ever-increasing prices until the market breaks and levels out. A sign of the times and trends to come.
This whisky can really take your senses for a journey, and it's made to be shared with friends on those long dark autumn and winter evenings. For some of us, this is one of the main reasons we drink whisky. Slainte!
The finish comes from the law firm of Long, Long, and Long…fading away very slowly with notes of orange pekoe tea, lingering spices, and a hint of licorice. Excellent!
The finish is still a bit overly winey, leaving some gumminess on the palate, but fans of heavily-sherried whiskies won’t likely mind the sharpness of the conclusion.
I like to hate on HP for gimmicky releases, but this isn't one of them. Really delicious and the smoke character really helps this from being too sweet and cloying.
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House Review
Nose:
Honey, vanilla, toffee, pepper, sticky sherry fruits. Really thick with stewed fruits, like fig, blackberry jam, pepper, some apricot. Overall, more sweet that spicy.
Taste:
Medium mouthfeel, sweet sherry fruits, brash pepper, faint salinity and some nice smoke. Theres a lot going on, its definitely got some pepper and sulfur in with the stewed fruits, but the heat is in check and well behaved. Reminds me a lot of Classic Cut, but with more pepper, and a really nice smoke presence.
Finish:
Medium, some pepper and sulfur here but the smoke and sticky sherry fruits blend really nicely.
Overall:
I like to hate on HP for gimmicky releases, but this isn't one of them. Really delicious and the smoke character really helps this from being too sweet and cloying.
Score:
92
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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