Another visit, another gift. I am lucky. Even though my first stop isn’t the Highlands or Speyside I have developed an appreciation for Balvenie. There is a similar set of elements in most Balvenie scotches but a different mixture or variety in each. The first scents are mild citrus and spice with a definite presence of wood. Not smoke but fresh wood, like entering a wood shop of lumber yard.
The taste is complex and changes in time. I love that element of many scotches. The first flavor is mild vanilla and honey. Holding it in your mouth it will begin to burn like very spicy food, like a ton of ginger. However it burns the tongue but not the throat, it’s very smooth on the way down and leaves a nice hot aftertaste that dies away leaving a citrus, slightly sweet finish.
Comparing to other high end scotches I’ve had I would say I’d rather have another bottle of Black Arts, King Edward or Balvenie 21 year over this. It’s good but there are better out there. This is a pricey scotch at 350$ a bottle but worth it for the serious coinsure, especially when it’s a gift.
50.3% abv
Copyright 2016, David R Bergman
Glenfiddich is not a member of my favorite flavor profile but I do like these scotches. I’ve tried their 12, 15 and 18 year scotches but I’ve only reviewed the 12 year on this blog. The thing that’s interesting about Glenfiddich is that each of these has a distinct flavor. In a nut shell 12 year is apple and/or pear, 15 year honey, and 18 burnt wood. I loved the 18 year when I had it the first time since I love smoky scotches. So, I decided to treat myself to a bottle of 21 year.
If I had to give this a single word description it might be spicy candy. Spice is definitely the most noticeable quality in this scotch. The aroma is light with some citrus. The flavor starts out light, becomes stronger in the mouth but is very smooth on the way down. Not too sweet at all but a candy aftertaste, the toffy flavor is there but spice is stronger. This is not a sweet tasting scotch. Finally, there are hints of vanilla. Very smooth, reminds me a bit of Balvenie Caribbean Cask and Dalmore King Alexander III. The price was a mere $180, not bad.
Copyright 2016 David R Bergman
Dark Origins
As I’ve said before and I’ll say it again my favorites are the Islay scotches but I’m always up for a new experience and I’m trying to expose my palate to a little of everything. So when I was at the liquor store I was in the mood to try something new-ish. A while back I had reviewed Highland Park 30 year. That was extraordinary, perhaps because of the age. I’m not usually a highland drinker but I liked Highland Park, the northern most distillery on earth, you can’t get higher than that. I decided to try Highland Park Dark Origins. The bottle looked really cool and since I like Highland Park 30 year I thought there was a good chance that more Highland Park would be a home run. I was right. I don’t know how old this scotch is, it doesn’t have an age on it. It’s roughly 80$ per bottle and 46.8% ABV. My account of the flavors is based on my experience and may differ from that found on the Highland Park web site.
The smell is mildly sweet and spicy with the smell of roasted nuts. The most noticeable cents are licorice and cedar.
As for taste, the first sip is spicy. This is one of the spiciest scotches I’ve tasted. It is a hot spice like black pepper and chilies. This gets noticeably hotter the more you hold it in your mouth. There is also a noticeable malt flavor and smokiness. Swallowing releases a refreshing sweetness, sugar, caramel and honey. The after taste is floral, a little bitter, and stays for a long time. This is a complex tasting scotch. There are some similarities with the 30 year I’ve had but this is very distinct. The 30 year wasn’t spicy at all, I recall that being a nice mix of smoky and sweet whereas Dark Origins is more complex and balances spicy and sweet with a myriad of other flavors in the background. I was impressed and I’m starting to move away from Islay and over to Orkney.
Copyright 2015 David R Bergman
Deviations are the new standard
