Highland park 1995 22 year old TWE exclusive G&M Cask Cask # 1498

The next exclusive bottling for TWE i am about to review is this 22-year-old whisky which was distilled at Highland Park in 1995.  The liquid was aged in a single refill hogshead (American oak). It is bottled at 53.2%, and is currently available on the TWE site for £150.

Highland park 1995 22 year old TWE exclusive G&M Cask Cask # 1498 , £150 

Nose:  A nice spicy entry with some pepper, and lemon zest, quite a bit of coconut and ex-bourbon notes (I guess this one ain’t sherried), quite sharp, and in need of some water to soften it down and tame the liquid . with water it becomes more honeyed and a bit sweeter and  autumnal, methinks.

Palate: More pepper, and some Orkney peat in the backdrop, there’s a fruity backbone to this, mainly stewed apple, and citrus , mostly in the form of lemons. A bit leafy, and mineral , with the subtle smoke adding a nice dimension to it, It does feel creamier with the addition of water, and the peat is more pronounced. With time you will discover some more notes of chocolate and berries.

Finish: The finish is medium long and gentler, with chocolate and some Atlantic salt, and a hint of smoke.

Bottom line

This is a tasty HP indeed, not what I had expected really, but very well made at any rate. Some would like the profile better I think, for me this is very good, yet the pricing is quite high, but when you take a look at HP 21 OB prices, it certainly does not look so high….

Score: 88/100

 

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