Sweet with a slight burn, and some salinity. Hazelnuts and nougat. A nice wood presence, which is slightly drying and only bitter enough to prevent the whisky from becoming cloying. Balance: This is a wonderfully enjoyable expression and I now understand why HP markets the 5cl bottle "gift" of HP18 with the 75cl bottle of HP12. They are offering a higher "education" Highland Park 18 is one of those whiskies one hears about as a consistent pinnacle of the distiller’s art, a high point, one of the great ones. However, when I first bought a bottle, maybe two months ago, it did not – in my opinion – live up to it’s reputation. Rich, warm, many layered – no aspect of the nose, palate or finish had anything wrong about it. It just wasn’t the masterpiece I had been led to expect. This edition has been drawn from an 18-year-old refill butt, which is said by Motion to harness notes of “sweet, toasted oak, vanilla fudge ice cream, roasted almonds and violets’’ as “floral peat smoke, cinnamon bark and spiciness” linger afterwards.

HP18 is like The International, an intriguing film with Clive Owen leading the way. The International offers lots of excitement with great action scenes but it's also a story that makes the audience think. It's like the complexity of HP18 combined with the sharp smoky edges that represent the banging action scenes in my reference.The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars. The final impression is one of anise and chimney smoke co-mingling on an autumn evening after the leaves have just fallen and the ground is fragrant and fertile before the cold weather sets in. Breathe deep. The after effects of the whisky are invigorating through the nostrils, reminding one of the exhilaration of breathing richly oxygenated atmosphere of late autumn on the 45th parallel of the globe (where I happen to live). Finish: The finish repeated the palate very nicely, with a peppery, warming sensation gradually giving way to the light, fruit based, fresh feeling. Cinnamon and other spices linger in a medium to long, very smooth finish. This sample of the Highland Park 18 smelled and tasted pretty much as I suspected it would. And it was priced very high in the glass for what I got. Palate: My kind of dram. Warm, peaty, smoky, but really remarkably intricated with fruits, salt and sweetness. You get the best of all worlds here. The mesquite campfire smoke is incredibly enjoyable. Biiiiig smiles here!

Well, I recently got a bottle of HP18, and I must say that it is as superb as I remember it being over the years. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. There is also some clover honey that helps to form a bridge into the finish, which is long, and generously sweet, yet also a bit smoky, with echoes of the white chocolate, spices, and macadamia nut. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets.

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I realized that the whisky was so sub-stellar just because of the type of glass they used (should have brought my own Glencairn) and the fact that I had food getting in the way of the tasting. Note to self: only taste when you're either A) done with food or B) haven't had food yet (though on an empty stomach... that can be...fun!). The nose is big but not overwhelming. It starts with warm salted butter, which is complemented with honey and gentle floral notes. Hints of peat and oak come through in further sniffs. It leaves me feeling warm, with a residual smokiness. A lot going on here. This is really easy to keep sniffing. This is a fantastic whisky. Of all my bottles of whisky, this is definitely my favorite. The character of this whisky is not at all one-note and it is extremely well balanced. The transformation of flavors sets this whisky apart from others. I'm on my third bottle of this stuff and I have realized that this whisky seems to peak when the bottle is 3/4 full and it stays relatively consistent from there. Upon opening a bottle, I've noted that it is a lot spicier and oaky. I will see if future bottles behave similarly. The 18 year old is, in some ways, an embodiment of what Highland Park does. The Scotch industry doesn’t have too many distilleries that plant their feet squarely on both peated malt and Sherry cask aging, but Highland Park does, and what the now call Viking Pride is an aged example. The malt is lightly peated with Hobbister Moor peat, and the the recipe uses mostly Sherry seasoned, European oak cask-aged whisky. Viking Pride is bottled at 43% ABV. So my point is - that "crappy" HP18 that I referenced is indeed changing literally in every respect - almost as a living being is coming alive. Now if the HP12 could hurry up and do likewise...

Finish: Peachy and nutty on the tongue; also buttery but more so in the throat; and gingery in the cheeks. The bespoke release, part of the brand’s Single Cask Series, has been bottled at cask strength to bring out its purest flavour.This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Finish: The drying effect is almost uncanny and quite famous amongst admirers. I have few words. Wonderful. You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account.

Palate: Absolutely one of the most succulent drops I've ever had! The smoke was underlying but kept peaking it's head out and was balanced so well by the sweetness. Sherry notes but thankfully not overly so. The age come out a bit long vanilla oak notes and more sweet smoke. G-d damn, I'm in heaven! When I first started getting seriously into whisky about 10 years ago this was one of the 'must have' malts. It didn't disappoint.

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Well, I took that advice, even shook it up a bit before putting it aside. I am so glad I did! What a difference a shake and a fortnight make!