ALCHEMIST Highland Park 15 Year Old 70cl Bottle

This 15 year old bottling is light gold in colour, the aroma is fresh and clean with a whiff of salty toffee. Flavours of bright citrus fruit balanced with the vanilla of the oak are intertwined seductively with a long smooth and briny finish. Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is the most northerly Scotch whisky distillery in the world. With its windswept moors, craggy outcrops and ancient religious sites, Orkney is a land full of mystery and rich in anecdote. This, combined with the wind, rain, lightening, freezing ice, crushing waves and hail provide the perfect setting for the home of one of the world39s best malt whiskies. Highland Park has a very subtle smoky flavour, with only 4 parts per million of phenol compared to 50 ppm for some of its peers. This is because the peat on Orkney comes from floral heather bushes, which burns hotter and cleaner than the grassy peats on other islands. It is one of only five distilleries in Scotland that still use traditional 39floor malting,39 where the 39green39 or germinated malt is spread manually on a perforated steel floor and dried slowly over a peat fire. After distillation it is matured in a mixture of plain oak casks and used sherry casks which add a sweetness and complexity to the whisky39s flavour. Because Orkney39s temperatures are cool and nearly constant throughout the year, the whisky doesn39t soak as deeply into the oak of the casks during aging as it would farther south. This results in a gentle aging process with a less 39woody39 flavour. Salt in the local air also has a subtle impact on Highland Park39s flavour by seasoning the casks during the many years of aging Recently voted the worlds best spirit its reputation is without question. Dave Broom, Wine International, Jan 06. 39ColourNose Pale gold. A light, quite creamy nose with a hint of cereal. In time a zesty lime Curacao note, then green pears and brine. Palate Soft feel. Hard toffee. Good contrast between sweetness and zestiness in the mid palate. Becomes more gentle towards the finish. Fudge and very light smoke. 90 Points.39