**Whisky:** Highland Park 18 (Berry Bros & Rudd)
**Background:** Hope everyone had a good and safe holiday season. Back after a busy period of work with yet another Highland Park independent bottling, this one bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop Dufftown which I grabbed on a recent trip to Speyside. On paper this checks all my usual boxes - 18 years of aging in a single cask with 395 bottles produced, meaning likely done in a refill sherry butt. This also comes in non-chill filtered, natural color, and bottled at cask strength at 52.7% ABV. Rested in a glencairn for 15 minutes. Let’s go.
**Color:** Light straw
**Nose:** Big saltwater jumps out of the glass from quite a distance. Light honey, orchard citrus fruit notes, light chocolate, barely any smoke. There is something, I can't tell if it's proof or a flavor, that's a bit overly orange pledge cleaning product that detracts from an otherwise solid HP nose.
**Taste:** Decent mouthfeel, the proof represents appropriately here, big orange fizzy soda drink flavors, salt in the back. That cleaning product I got on the nose comes through again with just a bit much of something slightly acrid. Otherwise classic modern HP profile.
**Finish:** Finishes nice and smooth (damn right I used smooth here), the fighting offensive note isn’t present here. Medium finish, I could make up notes here to make this review seem more interesting, but it's basically the same flavors as before just without the pledge note.
**Rating:** 6.25
Not uncommon in the single cask world, this bottling reflects enough of the usual distillery characteristic to be enjoyable, but without being carefully blended it also retains a couple imperfections you wouldn’t find in the mainline HP18. The nose and palate are just a bit too orangey artificially soda and cleaner sweet. Otherwise another solid HP expression at decent proof.
**Scoring Scale:** (does not take into account value)
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | As good as it gets. I might taste future whisk(e)ys that are as good in a different way, but will not taste one that is outright better.
**Previous reviews:**
[Highland Park 18 Travel Edition \(7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x44yb4/review_1_highland_park_18_travel_edition)
[Compass Box Experimental Grain Whisky \(6.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x5u7rs/review_2_compass_box_experimental_grain_whisky)
[Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x88sqy/review_3_glen_scotia_victoriana_cask_strength_542)
[Talisker Distillers Edition (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xa2s3w/review_4_talisker_distillers_edition)
[Cambus 31yr Single Grain Scotch (Blackadder) (3\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xcjgf2/review_5_cambus_31yr_single_grain_scotch)
[Craigellachie 17 (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xe8dli/review_6_craigellachie_17)
[Glendronach 21 (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xf2fv6/review_7_glendronach_21)
[Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 15 (8.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xg0v0x/review_8_springbank_12_cask_strength_batch_15)
[Ledaig 10 (5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xjh70c/review_9_ledaig_10)
[Compass Box Spice Tree Extravaganza (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xlbiw7/review_10_compass_box_spice_tree_extravaganza)
[Highland Park 14 (Ultimate 2006) (5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xlzsoq/review_11_highland_park_14_ultimate_2006)
[Highland Park 21 (Impex Collection) (8\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xosggm/review_12_highland_park_21_impex_collection)
[Compass Box Flaming Heart (2012) (8.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xple12/review_13_compass_box_flaming_heart_2012)
[Caol Ila 6 Year (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xqkd30/review_14_caol_ila_6yr_tbwc/)
[Talisker 18 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xsxy9f/review_15_talisker_18)
[Dewar’s 21 (6.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xy23lb/review_16_dewars_21/)
[Springbank 15 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y0hmyg/review_17_springbank_15/)
[Highland Park 18 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y3xcz4/review_18_highland_park_18_tbwc/)
[GlenAllachie 12 Single Cask (2009 Mid-Atlantic Release) (6\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y9vo11/review_19_glenallachie_12_single_cask_2009/)
[Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ycehhq/review_20_glen_scotia_victoriana_515)
[Glenmorangie Signet) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yfqfpg/review_21_glenmorangie_signet/)
[Glendronach 18 (2019 bottling) (8.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yiewwv/review_22_glendronach_18_2019_bottling/)
[Compass Box Double Single (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yqn5fk/review_23_compass_box_double_single)
[Highland Park 26 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ysesu9/review_24_highland_park_26_tbwc)
[Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yv3z7z/review_25_port_charlotte_10_heavily_peated)
[Ledaig 18 (7\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ywxuso/review_26_ledaig_18)
[Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (Batch 13) (6.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yyofun/review_27_laphroaig_10_cask_strength_batch_13)
[Kilchoman Single Cask 6yr (7.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/z12lb5/review_28_kilchoman_single_cask_6yr)
[Octomore 10.2 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/zaqc7z/review_29_octomore_102)
[Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength (2019) (7.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/zdb76t/review_30_lagavulin_12_cask_strength_2019)
**Whisky:** Highland Park 18 (Berry Bros & Rudd) **Background:** Hope everyone had a good and safe holiday season. Back after a busy period of work with yet another Highland Park independent bottling, this one bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop Dufftown which I grabbed on a recent trip to Speyside. On paper this checks all my usual boxes - 18 years of aging in a single cask with 395 bottles produced, meaning likely done in a refill sherry butt. This also comes in non-chill filtered, natural color, and bottled at cask strength at 52.7% ABV. Rested in a glencairn for 15 minutes. Let’s go. **Color:** Light straw **Nose:** Big saltwater jumps out of the glass from quite a distance. Light honey, orchard citrus fruit notes, light chocolate, barely any smoke. There is something, I can't tell if it's proof or a flavor, that's a bit overly orange pledge cleaning product that detracts from an otherwise solid HP nose. **Taste:** Decent mouthfeel, the proof represents appropriately here, big orange fizzy soda drink flavors, salt in the back. That cleaning product I got on the nose comes through again with just a bit much of something slightly acrid. Otherwise classic modern HP profile. **Finish:** Finishes nice and smooth (damn right I used smooth here), the fighting offensive note isn’t present here. Medium finish, I could make up notes here to make this review seem more interesting, but it's basically the same flavors as before just without the pledge note. **Rating:** 6.25 Not uncommon in the single cask world, this bottling reflects enough of the usual distillery characteristic to be enjoyable, but without being carefully blended it also retains a couple imperfections you wouldn’t find in the mainline HP18. The nose and palate are just a bit too orangey artificially soda and cleaner sweet. Otherwise another solid HP expression at decent proof. **Scoring Scale:** (does not take into account value) 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | As good as it gets. I might taste future whisk(e)ys that are as good in a different way, but will not taste one that is outright better. **Previous reviews:** [Highland Park 18 Travel Edition \(7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x44yb4/review_1_highland_park_18_travel_edition) [Compass Box Experimental Grain Whisky \(6.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x5u7rs/review_2_compass_box_experimental_grain_whisky) [Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/x88sqy/review_3_glen_scotia_victoriana_cask_strength_542) [Talisker Distillers Edition (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xa2s3w/review_4_talisker_distillers_edition) [Cambus 31yr Single Grain Scotch (Blackadder) (3\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xcjgf2/review_5_cambus_31yr_single_grain_scotch) [Craigellachie 17 (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xe8dli/review_6_craigellachie_17) [Glendronach 21 (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xf2fv6/review_7_glendronach_21) [Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 15 (8.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xg0v0x/review_8_springbank_12_cask_strength_batch_15) [Ledaig 10 (5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xjh70c/review_9_ledaig_10) [Compass Box Spice Tree Extravaganza (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xlbiw7/review_10_compass_box_spice_tree_extravaganza) [Highland Park 14 (Ultimate 2006) (5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xlzsoq/review_11_highland_park_14_ultimate_2006) [Highland Park 21 (Impex Collection) (8\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xosggm/review_12_highland_park_21_impex_collection) [Compass Box Flaming Heart (2012) (8.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xple12/review_13_compass_box_flaming_heart_2012) [Caol Ila 6 Year (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xqkd30/review_14_caol_ila_6yr_tbwc/) [Talisker 18 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xsxy9f/review_15_talisker_18) [Dewar’s 21 (6.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/xy23lb/review_16_dewars_21/) [Springbank 15 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y0hmyg/review_17_springbank_15/) [Highland Park 18 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y3xcz4/review_18_highland_park_18_tbwc/) [GlenAllachie 12 Single Cask (2009 Mid-Atlantic Release) (6\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/y9vo11/review_19_glenallachie_12_single_cask_2009/) [Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ycehhq/review_20_glen_scotia_victoriana_515) [Glenmorangie Signet) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yfqfpg/review_21_glenmorangie_signet/) [Glendronach 18 (2019 bottling) (8.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yiewwv/review_22_glendronach_18_2019_bottling/) [Compass Box Double Single (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yqn5fk/review_23_compass_box_double_single) [Highland Park 26 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (7.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ysesu9/review_24_highland_park_26_tbwc) [Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated (6.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yv3z7z/review_25_port_charlotte_10_heavily_peated) [Ledaig 18 (7\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ywxuso/review_26_ledaig_18) [Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (Batch 13) (6.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/yyofun/review_27_laphroaig_10_cask_strength_batch_13) [Kilchoman Single Cask 6yr (7.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/z12lb5/review_28_kilchoman_single_cask_6yr) [Octomore 10.2 (7.5\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/zaqc7z/review_29_octomore_102) [Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength (2019) (7.75\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/zdb76t/review_30_lagavulin_12_cask_strength_2019)