Introduction
I haven’t had the opportunity to attend a Highland Park tasting event, but I did notice that they bottle miniatures of most of their lineup, so I decided to buy some of those and do an HP comparison in the comfort of my own home. I already owned full size bottles of HP 12 and 18, so I purchased miniatures of the 15, 21, 25 and 30. Later, I discovered that the UK bottling of the 15 year (and the 12 year for that matter) are at 40% vs. the U.S. 43% version, so I ended up buying a full size bottle of HP 15 locally for the comparison.
In this post, I’ll share my tasting notes and thoughts on the 12, 15 and 18 year bottlings. I’ll then post a “Part 2” to compare the 21, 25 and 3o year, and discuss how those older, higher proofed bottlings relate to these first three. I’m leaving out the 16 year duty-free and 40 year bottlings from this comparison, as I wasn’t able to find miniatures of those two.
The Highland Park whisky making process
Highland Park seems to be known for its sweetness up front, which turns to drying and a light smoke at the end. The smoke comes from the use of some peated barley. The peat itself comes from Orkney, and the fact that it’s formed from the heathery moorland supposedly results in adding a honey sweetness to the barley, in addition to the smoke.
Assuming that they always start with the same basic spirit, coming from the same stills, I was curious as to what components go into the “recipe” for creating the individual HP expressions besides the length of maturation:
- Cask type: HP uses only sherry casks in the making of their whisky, but they use a combination of Spanish and American oak casks. The Spanish oak contributes dried fruit flavors, while the American oak provides vanilla and citrus notes.
- Refill cask ratio: They use varying combinations of first fill and refill sherry casks, with the ratio between these two being used for color consistency as well (they don’t caramel color their whisky).
- Cask Harmonization: Each batch of whisky, after a primary maturation period in different types of casks, is vatted together, and then returned to casks for six or more months of additional maturation. The older HP expressions are “harmonized” for longer periods. This process adds consistency to the HP releases.
I don’t think they disclose the specific ratios for all three of these elements of maturation, but I’ll share what information I’m aware of as I discuss each of the expressions.
[Note: All prices listed are just the local price range from a couple of big box liquor stores (Total Wine & More and Bevmo)]
Highland Park 12 (43%; $35-45)
HP 12 was the first Highland Park single malt, and the only standard expression from 1979 until 1997, when they introduced the 18 year expression. The 12 year is matured predominantly in Spanish oak casks, 20% of which are first fill.
Nose: Peaches in syrup, a hint of leather (that’s right…I said leather, not heather), and something a little earthy/vegetal, though I hesitate to say peat. Sometimes the peaches seem more like candied orange. Palate: A good mouth coating with more sweets, some spice and a nice tingle on the tongue. Becoming dry at the end. Finish: Medium length with continued drying. The fruitiness is back, though muted, and enveloped in a light smoke. Comments: Ok, is it just me, or does the HP 12 nose have a lot in common with Dalmore 12? However, the HP separates itself with more impact in the mouth, and a longer, more interesting finish. I felt the Dalmore 12 was worth 83 or 84 points, and this one deserves a couple more points for the improvements in the mouth. An excellent standard expression! 86 points.Highland Park 15 (43%; $55-65)
The 15 year is matured in 30% first fill casks, vs 20% for the 12 year. Additionally, there is a higher proportion of American oak casks. I don’t know what the ratio of American to Spanish oak casks is, though. The 15 year was just introduced in 2003.
Nose: Seems simpler than the 12, actually. HUGE lime (like it’s infused with lime peels) with a little bit of oak, and just the slightest hint of smoke. Palate: Citrus with some sweet spices. More drying than the 12, and a little more zip and tingle on the tongue. Finish: Drying, with big lime coming back, along with the light smoke that seems to be a signature HP trait. Comments: The 15 year is not a natural progression on the way from the 12 to the 18. The shift in focus from Spanish to American oak really changes the profile, and I can understand where some people would find this a bit disconcerting. I’m a big fan, though. It’s not super complex, but that infusion of lime perks me up and makes me take notice. I love the way it adds zip in the mouth, while still retaining the fascinating drying and light smoke from the 12 year. Personally, I’m inclined to reach for this one over the 12 in most cases. Is this one of those guilty pleasures? Will the lime start seeming excessive by the time I empty the bottle? I don’t know, but right now I’d give it 88 points. [Update] I revisited the 15 year in my Earl Magnus blog post and the lime does seem a little more over the top now. The palate is a little more watery, too. I updated my rating to 87 points just to show a little more separation between this and the 18 year and Magnus. I still think the 15 is a great whisky.A tale of two HP 15 year olds: I mentioned at the top that I had also ordered a mini of the 40% HP 15 from the UK. I wanted to provide notes on the 40% vs 43% bottlings, but I encountered a problem. My 40% sample was completely flat on the palate, and when it hit the finish, an off-putting soapy flavor came up into my nostrils and stuck with me until I washed it away with one of the good HPs. For now, I’m giving HP the benefit of the doubt, and assuming I somehow got a bad sample. If that’s not the case, and this is what the 40% 15 year old tastes like, that would be a real shame.
Highland Park 18 (43%; $83-99)
Now we jump up to 45% first fill casks, and predominantly Spanish oak like with the 12 year. The 18 year was the second core single malt expression introduced…18 years after the 12 year was introduced, funny enough.
Nose: Darker and richer than either the 12 or 15. Much more fruity. Starting with dried fruits and sweet spices and turning into fresh red fruits and berries. Not a sherry bomb, but the additional first fill casks are obvious here. I think I’m also picking up a little bit of fresh oak underneath the fruit. Palate: Good body and fruity flavor. Bigger mouth feel than the 12 or 15. Finish: More red fruits. There is smoke, and it’s starting to get bigger than with the first two…lifting the fruits up into the back of the nostrils and staying for a while. Comments: Wow! Amazing balance on this one. The way the Spanish sherry cask influence comes out, but doesn’t completely take over is very appealing. It doesn’t seem quite as drying as the first two, actually, but still a great mouth feel. Sweets, spices, oak, fruit, smoke…they all enter and exit at the right points, and mix together in the right way. It’s hard to explain, but I just have a hard time finding fault. That’s not to say it can’t be improved upon. There could be more mouth impact and more smoke, and I wouldn’t complain one bit. Still…this is a pretty amazing whisky. I rank it right up in the neighborhood of my favorites at 90 points.Comparison
It’s interesting how they’ve used the sweet/smoky combination to achieve a common, identifiable distillery character across the expressions, yet each is a very distinct experience. I don’t know that age has contributed to the differences between the 12 and 15 year so much as the maturation “recipe”, especially with regards to the use of American oak. The 18 year, on the other hand, seems to have a richness about it that indicates a sweet spot in the aging process.
If you just look at the point ratings I assign to these three expressions, it looks like I’m phoning it in and awarding a couple of points for every 3 years of aging. That’s not the case at all, though. These three expressions arrive at their satisfaction level and rating in completely different ways, with age potentially playing just a little bit of a roll in the 18 year story. I could imagine somebody switching these ratings around based on personal preference, but I find it easy to recommend all of these as high quality drams with a good value proposition (not taking into account that 40% 15 year sample).
Coming in Part 2…
In my next post, I’ll compare the 21, 25 and 30 year, which all have a higher alcohol percentage. I’ll also talk about them relative to these younger expressions with regards to profile similarities and value proposition. I REALLY want to like the 25 year more than the 30 because of the price difference, but will it be able to pull off the upset? Also, my take on the 21 year being voted the best whisky in the world this past year in the Whisky Magazine awards.
Update: Here’s the link to The HP core expressions – Part 2
There’s a 16yo in duty free too, you know…
http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/whisky/products/16yo.asp
Those are very high scores by the way. I like the 20+ yo bottlings much better so those will probably get sky-rocketing scores?
Sorry I didn’t read the line about the 16yo.
I think my ratings for the whiskies I like tend to be a little more generous than yours anyway, so I guess that needs to be taken into account. You think MINE are high…have you seen Jim Murray’s ratings for these 3?!
At least one of the 20+ year bottlings does sky-rocket somewhat for me, but not all three. I just happen to think the 18 year is pretty amazing. Certainly more so than Serge, yourself, and some of the other reviewers I’ve seen. What it lacks in impact [relative to the higher proof, older bottlings] it makes up for in balance and pure drinking pleasure.
Thanks for checking out my posts, even if you think my notes and ratings are wacky. 🙂
Jeff
Jeff,
thanks for this great, detailed post. you really invest time and thought into your posts, besides the “nose,palate,finish” we’re so accustomed to.
very refreshing. also, the cask combinations and their effect on the malt is intriguing.
you know i love HP when i leave “Peat land” and enjoy some less peaty monsters 😉 . the 18 is indeed a favorite of mine, i never got to taste the 15 or 16.
i am looking fwd to your notes on the 21,25,30 , especially on the 21, which everyone is so hung about.
where do you get the minis? i never spotted minis of that age (21,25,30)
Slainte!
Gal.
Thanks for the kind words, Gal. I’m looking forward to your post on the Ardbegs.
I used a combination of The Whisky Exchange and Loch Fyne Whiskies to get that collection of miniatures.
Cheers,
Jeff
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by scotchhunter, Whisky Israel . Whisky Israel said: Great post by @ScotchHobbyist about HP (12,15,18) Part I. http://bit.ly/2mPIee – a must read. #whisky #HighlandPark […]
Great post! Left me wanting for part deux. I was not aware that HP only uses sherry casks, Such great detail to their processes, thank you!
BTW, where are you finding the 12yr and the 15yr fr the pirces you’ve shown? I can’t find the HP12 locally for less than $49 and the 15 for less than $54 – Would love to find a less expensive source!
-YY
Thanks Yossi!
Good point on the pricing. I originally put “locally” next to each of the prices, but removed it and was going to put a note in somewhere that all prices are local.
The price range I listed was covering the spread between the two big box liquor stores here…Total Wine & More and BevMo.
Cheers,
Jeff
I hate to say it, but HP 12 at the liquor store near my house in Minneapolis, MN is at a regular price of 30 bucks.
Talk about good value!
So…we’ve got HP 12 for $30 in MN, and the Glenmorangie gift pack for $30 in MI. I guess you folks deserve a break on a good dram now and then for putting up with those winters. 🙂
Thanks for the nice comparison of the three HPs. It´s a project I planned to do before, but so far I only habe the 12 and 18 as samples.
For the HP15, I tasted it in a local Whisky bar, and interestingly I found it also to be “flat”, mostly alcoholic and non-differentitated. Gues what Alc. content it had? You´re right, 40%..
I was especially disappointed as the HP15 was higly recommended throughout the net. Maybe its a 40 vs 43 thing, so I shoud give the HP15 another try at 43%..
Cheers
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the notes on the HP 15! Wow…that would be crazy if there is such a big difference between the two 15 year bottlings. The nasty aftertaste in my sample was such that I couldn’t believe it was simply a matter of alcohol %.
I wonder why we get 43% for the 12 and 15 here, but they get 40% in the UK. I hope they don’t opt to lower ours to 40% in the future for consistency!
Thanks,
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I also doubt that the different taste between the 40% ansd 43% is merely a thing of +/-3% alcohol content, there must be more than that.
You might want to give it a try, dilute the 43% version to 40%, I assume it won´t be that bad..
Daniel
[…] If you read any tasting notes today, read Scotch Hobbyist’s excellent review of the Highland Park 12, 15, and 18. […]
Nice work, Jeff– I agree with you whole-heartedly about the HP 12 resembling the Dalmore 12, although the honey and the smoke seem to stand out a bit more for me sometimes.
Also, your observations on the 15 are similar to my own– if you try the duty free 16 year you might get even more of a lemon-lime flavor, with some berries, but not much body at 40% abv.
And I agree, again, about the 18 year. This one I love as much as anything I can regurlarly afford. The balance and the complexity are exceptional. There’s something for everyone, and a lot for the seasoned enthusiast.
I was forunately able to nab a 21 yo from Heathrow’s world of whiskies before they dropped the abv– is your sample at the original 47.5%, or is it at the new 40%? I must order these miniatures– can’t wait to read about the older expressions. Loved the old bottling of the 25 yo, but haven’t had the others.
-mike ef
Thanks Mike,
I’m glad to hear you noticed a resemblance to Dalmore 12 as well. On the 16, I’m curious about that one, but not enough to jump through hoops to try it. My concern would be just what you stated…not much body.
That’s great news that you were able to get the 21 at 47.5%. I really like that one, but I think the high abv and the punch that it provides is part of what makes that expression special. Not sure how the 40% version will hold up. I wish I would have known about HP 21 when I passed through Heathrow in Summer 2008, but I was just beginning my whisky journey at the time.
Cheers,
Jeff
[…] Scotch Hobbyist has just done a tremendous roundup of tasting notes for all three of the standard expressions, and although I would have agreed […]
“HP uses only sherry casks in the making of their whisky, but they use a combination of Spanish and American oak casks.”
HP is 100% sherry-matured? I did not know this. I knew, and could taste, that they use a high % of sherry casks, but was not aware it is 100%
Also, I thought all sherry casks were European Oak…am I wrong there too?
Thanks for the info.
Hi Allen,
Yes indeed, they only use sherry casks in their core expressions (although they do apparently have some bourbon casks in storage). I was surprised to learn this as well when I was watching one of the singlemalt.tv tasting videos with Gerry Tosh from HP. They also mention this on the HP website here: http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/distillery/keystones/key4Casks.asp
I’ve heard from numerous sources that when you taste cask-influenced flavors in whisky, you’re not necessarily tasting the previous liquid matured in the cask (sherry/bourbon). Rather, it’s the oak type itself that is imparting most of the flavors. Additionally, with bourbon casks, you get flavors imparted from the unique charring/toasting process used in the making of American whiskey.
It is also true that they make sherry in the United States, and HP purchases some and has them shipped over. Apparently it’s more expensive to purchase the American sherry casks than bourbon.
It seems that a lot of people use “European Oak” and “American Oak” as synonyms for “sherry casks” and “bourbon casks” respectively, so when you hear the HP folks talking about American/European oak, it’s understandable if you jump to the conclusion that they’re referring to the previous use of the cask.
Thanks,
Jeff
Interesting. Thanks. The reason I asked was because Kevin over at The Scotch Blog seemed to say that this wasn’t the case (http://inebrio.com/thescotchblog/?p=69), although this post is over 3 years old.
And I think there seems to be a bit of disagreement on the amount of influence the previous liquid has on the whisky vs. influence of wood. Clearly the the previous liquid has some effect, or why else (aside from marketing) would Glenmorangie (previously) have a line consisting of Madeira, Sherry, Port, and Burgundy – all 12 years, and all presumably European Oak? I spoke with the North American Ambassador for Signatory who told me that the European vs. American oak distinction is negligible. I don’t think this is really the case, but I do often think that it is overstated.
Allen,
That’s an EXCELLENT point about the wine finishings. Surely there is “some” influence from the previous liquid, but to this point, I had read/heard that this was fairly minimal. I just found this great post, also from The Scotch Blog, where Kevin covers this exact issue. Check it out: http://inebrio.com/thescotchblog/?p=12
I have a feeling that Kevin was mistaken when describing the cask types used in the HP expressions, as per my comment previously about people tending to use American oak/bourbon cask synonymously. Otherwise I would have expected to see more comments out there about a change in HP flavor over the past year or two.
Thanks,
Jeff
Thanks for the quick reply. FYI – the person asking the question there was me 🙂 (just changed the spelling here for a bit more anonymity).
Ha! That’s funny.
I certainly understand not wanting your real name associated with my blog. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, anyway. Great dialog, and the industry insider insight on Kevin’s “sherry oak” post is exactly the kind of thing I like to find as I continue my whisk(e)y discovery process.
Cheers,
Jeff
[…] is part 2 of my look at the Highland Park core expressions. In Part 1, I shared some details about how HP creates their whisky, and compared the 12, 15 and 18 year […]
Hi Jeff!
You mention in your review of the HP 15 that the lime gets to be a bit much after awhile. That was my impression of the HP 12 ans 18 with respect to the sherry flavor. I found the HP 18 upon opening to be at its zenith and then coming back to it days and weeks later, the sherry becomes to the forefront of the flavor profile.
I have a question. Would you agree the HP 15 is less sherried than the 12 and 18?
I don’t know if “less” sherried even describes it properly. The focus on American oak for the 15 year really makes it a different animal from the others. There’s none of the traditional sherry flavor that you typically get from the likes of Macallan or the Spanish oak HPs.
If you actually find the sherry to be a bit much on the 12 and 18 after a while, I’m guessing you need to drink the likes of Macallan 12/18 in small quantities?
Thanks,
Jeff
[…] £899). For an excellent review of the HP core range refer to the scotch hobbyist excellent posts here and […]
what can some recommand
HP12,
walker green
ballintines 17
dalmore 12
glendonarch 12 im looking out for at varies stores.
do like some refinement. do not like too dry/serbert. do like cereal notes too.
Those are ALL excellent whiskies, J! Deciding between them would probably depend on what other whiskies you’ve tried already. None of these are “super dry.” The Glendronach is going to be the most different from the others, with pretty much no peat smoke. Ballantine’s 17 might actually fit your description the best, but I’d still start with one of the single malts…probably Glendronach or HP 12. If you can find HP 12 in a bar, try it that way first. If it’s to peaty for you, then go for Glendronach 12 or Ballantine’s 17.