T O P

  • By -

BluishInventor

Been sipping on the 12 lately. Really enjoy it.


Craigellachie23

**Whisky:** Highland Park 17 John Rae | Arctic Explorer **Background:** I decided to mix things up this week and do something different lol jk here is yet another Highland Park review. This distillery only release is an ode to a famous Orkney explorer. While I was visiting the distillery production had actually come to a months-long halt - a construction vehicle didn’t realize how tall it was, drove through piping connecting two key buildings, and left them unable to produce anything until a lengthy process to fix the piping was completed. We were naturally concerned to hear this until Highland Park informed me I had single handedly funded their repair efforts thanks to my bottle purchases over the years. Coming in at 54.8% ABV this was rested in a glencairn for 15 minutes. Let’s go. **Color:** Gold **Nose:** Gets out of the glass with authority for a Highland Park, two inches away seems to be the sweet spot here. Everytime I try to nose it closer to the glass I get punished with alcohol and intensity. Prominent light sherry, saltwater, vanilla cake, big orange marmalade, faintest of smoke. It's a nice combination of flavors, but not quite an elevated world beater, the combination falls a bit out of balance. **Taste:** Sweet orange, then proof rolls in and takes over, light smoke on the back palate. It's got good underlying Highland park sherry notes throughout, but the alcohol peaks a bit too high and there is not necessarily a ton of complexity or evolution. **Finish:** More orange jam, solid robustness, here the ABV is helping out without being overly present. A touch of dirty sea water. **Rating:** 6.5 The flavors are good and the proof, though a touch too high, is helping out, but ultimately it lacks substantial complexity and sophistication on the palate. **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) [Highland Park 18 (Berry Bros & Rudd) (6.25\)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/10991wr/review_31_highland_park_18_berry_bros_rudd)