Whisky Review
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#298  Highland Park 18 YO Single Malt Scotch (Islands)
This cost is what I found the likely shelf price for a 750ml bottle to be, based on an average of costs throughout the USA. Your price may differ significantly. This is not an advertisement of sale, this bottle is likely empty by now anyway Cost$10000Bottle Image. Image is © Practical Whisky. Bottle, logo and other trademarked imagery are © their respective owners.
BottlerOfficial Bottling
00-09:Horrid
10-19:Awful
20-29:Unpleasant
30-39:Poor
40-49:Below Average
50-59:Average
60-69:Recommendable
70-79:Very Good
80-89:Excellent
90-99:Fantastic
Taste Score
                  91   
The whisky's score as weighed against the cost of a bottle. Adj. Score
              73       
ABV43%
AwardsTaste Award: Gold
Tasting # 328: # 298: Highland Park 18  (08-DEC-2008)
NotesIt's been 18 months since the last official Link to another reviewHighland Park and 6 years difference between their ages. But those 6 years added up to 26 points of difference. HP 18 becomes only the fourth 90+ point whisky this year.
1st
Impression		This is the new bottle style, moving from the old picturesque scene to this stern looking label. I do like the new logo, though.
SmellOh yeah, that's very nice. A slight sweet grapefruit over big, hearty barley malt and a dash of salt. Really expressive, really well built.
TasteWow. That's impressive and expressive and wonderful. A big smokey barley and heather opening that builds into an oak room swimming in honey and a touch of leather. Orange peel. Salt. Very chewy, very big at the top. The fade is a disappointment only because the top is so expressive, so fantastic, it just can't follow. Honey and the orange has become softer, more like lemonade and the smoke sharpens slightly into pipe smoke. The finish is fantastic, barley and heather everywhere with a sweet, peppery peat that appears in an unexpected encore that lasts and lasts. Outstanding, well past the 80s and I've got an eye on 91.
Tasting Score91
Comments
Richard
21-Oct-2009 05:28:08 GMT
                  94   
Tasted at Whisky Fest San Francisco 2009. I don't usually like to rate a whisky after 1 tasting but this was so good I went back for a second tasting. Fantastic symphony of heather, spice, oak, sherry, peat, and smoke with honey as the recurring fugue. Very rich and pleasing. Outstanding.
Mark
15-May-2009 21:11:49 GMT
                  92   
One of my favorites. The price in St. Louis is about $87, about $50 cheaper than 18 Macallen. This had\s the right amount of smoke and peat, and since aged in Sherry Cask, great flavor. This is one to keep on the shelf.

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