Highland Park 1995 Carn Mor Sherry [Road to #1000, Review #976]

Hi everyone,

We continue towards 1000 reviews with a great Highland park from a Sherry cask. I’m not certain why HP does so well with Sherry but perhaps it’s because of the heavier style of the spirit combined with light peat smoke, similar to Springbank. Also, we must remember that the stablemalts include Glenrothes and Macallan which also do well in Sherry.

Anyway, this is a release from Carn Mor and would have been quite expensive on release but then, this is better than the last batch of the 30yo OB I tried so there’s that.

Highland Park 1995 Carn Mor 54%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Real fuckin' good! A proper good Sherry cask, clove, cinnamon, no end to the dried fruit- raisin, prune, date, walnut, thick plum sauce on crispy duck! Really rich, a dram to lose yourself in! Singed heather, unami soy sauce, roasted goose leg but sweeter moments of chocolate orange and Kirsch.

Taste: Soft and sweet, building Sherry, dry and sweet, smoke and layers of sweet dried fruit, raisin and prune, sweet orange and singed heather, leather, tobacco and dark chocolate. Wonderfully balanced.

Finish: Long length. Sweet and mouth watering. More orange, dry oak, then chocolate and some heather, malt. Lovely.

Bottled 2018 at 22yo but could easily be 25 or more. Very complex and well timed release. Stunning.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #819

Whisky Network Review #976

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Orkney 2000 The Whisky Agency for Toronto Whisky Society Review

Hi everyone,

Another one from that crazy night with the Toronto Whisky Society people. And, excitingly, another one that they selected themselves!

I tried the Tobermory that they had done first blind and really enjoyed it, so was intruiged by this whisky distilled on Orkney that definitely isn’t Scapa (yeah, its Highland Park, duh). 

Orkney 2000 The Whisky Agency 52.9%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Very natural and mineral, lightly smoked porridge, a great little funky note. Its a little closed and austere but it opens up over time and with a little warming, reminds me of a Benromach from a Bourbon barrel or Springbank Local Barley.

Taste: Soft arrival, beautiful balance of light lemon, minerality and light smoke. Quite austere again but great. Nice spices and good level of dry oak, white pepper.

Finish: Long length. The white pepper and dry oak really stick around and build with some great minerality.

Bottled for Toronto Whisky Society at 17yo in 2018. Another really good pick guys. Quite smoky for HP I thought, while still being clean and well balanced.

83/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #816

Whisky Network Review #972

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Old Perth 23 Blended Malt Review

Hi everyone,

I’ve tried a bunch of this lovely Old Perth line up now, a series that Morrison Mackay have brought us from single casks they’ve somehow managed to acquire that seem to almost always be blended malts (at birth) containing Macallan, Highland park and, sometimes, Glen Grant.

They released three in larger boxes and nicer labels, two of which I have tried, this one completes the set. I remember when they came out that Graeme Mackay had told me that the 23 was his favourite of the set and I was able to try some a while back.

 

Old Perth 23 44.9%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Quite complex but still fresh. Fresh orange, dry malt and oak, chocolate and some Sherry, hot black coffee poured over leather (yes, I know how that sounds), Brandy/red grape, more chocolate powder over time.

Taste: Sweet arrival, malt and gorgeous orange, great development into drier territory with leather and oak, swells really nicely. Could really be 30yo.

Finish: Medium length. Very soft finish, chocolates, chocolate powder, chocolate truffles. A real chocolate bomb on the finish.

1994, single cask blended malt. Dry whisky and great for it. Easily tastes older than 23. I love these older Sherried malts where the whiskies really have a chance to develop with the sherry over a longer time, oxidise and also are able to keep their character. Don’t really know why these haven’t flown off the shelves…

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #766

Whisky Network Review #911

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Old Perth 14, 21, 41 & 46 Blended Malts & Grain Reviews

Hi everyone,

So recently the excellent people at Morrison MacKay have been releasing some excellent whiskies. Following on from the success of their 12, 13 & 21 expressions of their Old Perth series, they decided to do some more.

These are pretty well known to be mostly blends of Macallan and Highland Park, although the older versions (and obviously the blended grain) probably are not.

Anyway, I’ve been very lucky to get to try a whole set of them.

 

Old Perth 14 Blended Malt 43.7%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: A little fresher and more fruity than the 13yo. Sherry, dried apricot, delicate dried flowers/petals, sweet prune, lots of chocolate too with cocoa powder, sweet honey and beeswax.

Taste: Haribo coke bottle arrival, soft, heather, sweet Sherry, a little flat especially for the age then tingling spice and oak. Euro oak, raisin and prune.

Finish: Medium length. Dry, wood and cinnamon spice, a little dried heather.

A blend of Highland Park and Macallan. About double the price of the 13 but quite flat on the palate despite a great nose.

72/100

 

Old Perth 21 Blended Malt 55.2%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: If you distilled coffee to 55%... espresso, very dark and earthy, dark chocolate, dry oak, dark chocolate with orange bits, orange peel, some heather.

Taste: Sweet and soft then more bitterness as it develops, some dark chocolate and intense coffee, espresso, tannins, slightly earthy then nice fresher orange into the finish.

Finish: Long length. Dark, more dark chocolate and coffee, some orange peel and tannins.

Reputedly a combo of Glen Grant and Macallan... from a single cask. Wow, in the same vein as the 13yo. But I think I preferred that one. This seems a little overwhelmed.

79/100

 

Old Perth 41 Blended Malt 45.3%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Wow, complex! What surprises me here is the nice touch of smoke! Strawberry fruit pastilles, fruity Sherry, obvious wood but not overwhelming, leather and tobacco. Very salivating nose, great.

Taste: Soft arrival, strawberry fruit pastilles then the oak comes in balanced by fruity Sherry, developing leather and tobacco and very dark chocolate, great oily mouthfeel too.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Drier, woodier here, dry oak and tobacco. A little out of balance here, just a bit too dry and oaky.

Vintage 1977. Shame the finish throws it off kilter.

86/100

 

Old Perth 46 Blended Grain 49.9%

Colour: Light Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Retained its freshness remarkably, creamy vanilla, dried raspberry and delicious petrol fumes. Ethereal and complex, old wood and expensive praline chocolates, light raisin from the Sherry.

Taste: Soft and impeccable. Great development with zippy freeze dried raspberry, vanilla, biscuit, dark chocolate, ethereal spirit still intact. The oak is a massive presence and yet also in the background, backing everything up.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Very soft here, whispers away with toffee, dark chocolate and a very light touch of oak.

Vintage 1971. Great old Grain this. Funny that the best Grain whiskies I've had have been blended Grains, almost like the stuff was made to be blended!

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #731-#734

Whisky Network Reviews #869-#872

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Highland Park Dragon Legend & 2003 Single Cask Reviews

Hi everyone,

Today I’ve got some Viking-y whisky designed by Vikings for Vikings and… um, Vikings!

Yes, its Highland Park.

I used to be a big fan but the officials have been releasing lots of random NAS expressions (WTF does Dragon Legend mean anyway?!) while a load more indies have suddenly popped up as well as single casks that people seem to be dropping lots of money on.

Highland Park Dragon Legend 43.1%

Colour: Light Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Sweet! Sherry, raisin, some malt, no smoke, a little heather though maybe, honey, syrupy, golden syrup.

Taste: Soft, lacking power and abv, some weak Sherry tones, raisin, honey, a little heather. Screams Sherry finish to me. Not much development of flavour on the palate.

Finish: Medium length. More Sherry, more raisin, more honey and heather.

Thanks to my mate Mike for this sample. An exclusive for Tesco in the UK. Weak release from HP. Very average IMO. On my blind YouTube review I guessed that this was Glengoyne 10, but really it tasted younger than that.

66/100

 

Highland Park 2003 Single Cask 58.1%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Sherry and spice and all things nice. Ginger and honey come off straight away, intense old style oak, dark chocolate, black coffee, coca cola and heather, fig, raisin, prune and date. Oh and liquorice.

Water: More balance and complexity with cherry, more fruit and singed heather.

Taste: Intense, dry, old oak, dark chocolate, heather, cola, black pepper and ginger spice, lots of super dark dried fruit, raisin and blackcurrant.

Water: Softer, not as sharp, orange marmalade and cherry.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Blackcurrant, coca cola, dry oak and singed heather.

Bottled 2018 for Scottish Independent Bars at 15yo. 1st fill European Oak Sherry Hogshead. But there's only so dark you want your whisky! And this is very dark. The blackcurrant note is nice on the taste and it has a great nose but it left me wanting a little more from it, more smoke and more complexity from the taste, not just loads of dark sweetness.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #718-#719

Whisky Network Reviews #856-#857

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Orkney Single Malt 2002 Sherry BBR Review

Hi everyone,

There has been a bit of a lack of activity on my part recently, partly due to moving house, work and I’ve started writing a book (which is something I’ve always wanted to do but, as you can imagine, time consuming).

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Highland Park IB’s have started coming out? Either under ‘mystery Orkney’ or under the official name. Lots of good deals too, fair prices compared to the expensive OB single casks.

This one was bottled by Berry Bros with a labelling mistake! Which is always funny to see. The label says that it is 14yo but in fact it is 16yo.

 

Orkney Single Cask Berry Bros 56.8%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Lovely meaty Sherry, honey, malt and golden raisin, very Macallan-like if it weren't for the heathery smoke in the background. An Unami note like salami or gammon, slightly Ledaig-like salted cheese. Herbal notes too. Quite complex. Fantastic nose.

Water: Equally great but softer, more chocolatey.

Taste: Soft sweetness then intense, great Sherry cask, raisin, honey, golden raisin, heather then very earthy, some green apple, working in the garden, lots of chocolate.

Water: Dry, honey, more floral, more spice and oak here. Ginger and some pepper.

Finish: Long length. Lots more oak, dry, lots of chocolate, heather.

A little too oaky to taste but a brilliant nose. Better neat. Almost Ledaiggian in style with the funky Sherry and light smoke. Which in my book makes it great! Oh and almost forgot, the price was really good too. Sadly all sold out now I think.

80/100

Distillery: Highland Park

Average Score: 80.3

Distillery Ranking: 8th/ 65 places

Up/Down: No movement

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #650

Whisky Network Review #775

Network Average: 75.0

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Old Perth 13 Blended Malt (Highland Park & Macallan) Review

Hi everyone,

I didn’t necessarily release that the company behind the Carn Mor range of single casks, did other stuff. Until I met Peter and Graeme Mackay of Morrison Mackay in Groningen the other day. Fun, whisky fuelled times. Peter, very graciously, was the one to give me a glass of this stuff.

Black as night. A single Sherry cask. Highland Park. Macallan. Age statement. What’s not to like?

 

Old Perth 13 Morrison Mackay 43.8%

Colour: Dark Amber (Peter said Coca Cola)

Body: Full

Nose: Lots of sherry of course, but lots of earthy and tobacco notes, very dark chocolate, coffee beans, leather. Seriously earthy after a bit- freshly tilled earth.

Taste: Dry and very dark, fig, loads of black cherry, earthy, leather, plenty of oak, deep and thick, orange marmalade, malty peat lurking behind it all.

Finish: Medium/Long length. More malty here with more tobacco and black coffee.

Distilled 2004, although the ratio of HP to Mac is unknown. Single cask pre-release sample (but it is out now, although you’ll need to be very quick if you want one). Much like the also very dark Bruichladdich from Whiskybroker recently (review coming up), this has zero sweetness. Instead its all about the earthy, dark and dry flavours.

84/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #606

Whisky Network Review #718

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?