To wrap up this sprint of Scotch Reviews we’re turning to a K&L single cask featured in our last Malt Nuts Sherried Highland Park tasting: Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition. A fun little Scotch that comes from a VERY active refill sherry butt.
This is a whisky that shows how little meaning there is in terms like first fill, 2nd fill, refill, etc. Sure they tell you how many times the cask has been used, but it doesn’t tell you how long its been used, and that’s a much more important bit of info. Think about it like this.
You have two 13-year-old whiskies from the same distillery to choose from. Whisky 1 was aged in a refill sherry butt which previously held whisky for 10 years. Whisky 2 was aged in a refill sherry butt that was previously used to finish a whisky for 6 month. They both get labeled the same, as coming from a refill sherry butt, so which one would you choose?
Me? I’d go with the latter and is what I theorize happened with this whisky. The first fill was only in there for a brief time to give it this color and flavor on the second go-round.
Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition Review: Details and Tasting Notes
“This California Exclusive single cask from Highland Park is a phenomenal example of the power and intensity of the famous Orkney distillery. This single cask, selected by Highland Park Whisky Maker Gordon Motion yielded just 588 bottles.”
Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)
Region: Islands, Scotland
Distiller: Highland Park
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: Refill Sherry Butt
Age: 13 Years (05-18)
ABV: 62.7%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Cask: 3609
Bottles: 588
Release: California Edition
Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller (~$125 when purchased)
Tasting Notes
EYE
Drying blood
NOSE
Buttery toffee, dank sherry, cherry Tootsie Rolls, sulfur, smoky char, spice (cinnamon, clove and anise) and heavy dark fruit.
PALATE
Sticky dried dark fruit, cocoa, buttery toffee, sulfur, spice (cinn, clove, anise), smoke and roasted malt with bits of copper and leather.
FINISH
Long -> Herbal spice, sulfur, smoke and dark fruit.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium-full body and a warm oily feel.
Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition Review: Overall and Score
Aroma is warm, darkly fruity and sticky sweet but comes through a bit light and even with water isn’t fully expressive – a tad muted; Palate is warm and a touch ashy but is a solid, heavily sherried, Highland Park profile that’s become quite deep and expressive as it’s opened up; Finish mirrors the palate on the dark fruitiness but picks up a slight touch of herbal notes.
It’s calmed down a lot since the night we tasted it at the Malt Nuts and the Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition has transformed into something fun.
Most of the heavy sulfur has blown off leaving a pleasant, fun, sherried Highland Park that slides through the senses; though, thankfully, all of the sulfur didn’t blow away. There’s enough left on the aroma and palate to enhance the dark heaviness of this Scotch and make this juuuuuust right.
SCORE: 4/5
Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition Review $100
Overall
4- Nose (4)
- Palate (4)
- Finish (4)
- BBF (4)
User Review
0 (0 votes) Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)Single Cask Highland Park 13 Years California Edition Review Summary
This started a bit rough, but after some time and air it blossomed into a fantastic whisky that carries a complex sherried profile that keeps me coming back for more.
