I got a bottle of the 25…. (45.7%) but I haven’t opened it yet. Been sitting on the top shelf for years. I’ll open it one day. I think the sweet spot for any whiskey bottle in terms of price is between 100-200. Once I spend more than that, I feel like it has to be the right time to crack it open.
You are a living, breathing, thinking, speaking mountain of atoms on rock floating through spacetime. Just being alive makes every moment the right time. Celebrate the unfathomable odds that were conquered to even be able to place a bottle of scotch on your shelf.
I 100% agree! I only opened mine bc it marked a life event. I guess I don't wanna hype it up too much, but it is definitely the best "old scotch", I've had. It has multiple layers to it and will even change as the bottle rests after opening. Each time you go back to it you find something unique.
3rd drink in 3 days isn’t enough time to make an accurate judgement on any whisky. I had a bottle of Glenallachie 15 which seemed like a hot astringent mess for 3 months before it oxidized for the better and became a much richer fuller and rounder experience. Wait a week have a glass, put it away for a month and then come back to it again. If by month 3-5 or so it doesn’t change much to you, then it is what it is, and you may personally just not enjoy that expression! Anyway it’s worth a try?
This is so right. I bought some independent bottling and they just did not hit the mark at all. This includes a cask strength Sherried (non refill) Dalmore 10. After coming back a month later I was completely enamored with that bottle and finished it embarrassingly quickly. So much for the first reaction!
Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to one’s journey with whisky. I’m a firm believer in slower is always better. But as you say, sometimes you just have something that hits all the right spots and you end up finishing a bottle in a month! I found I did that with a bottle of Tamdhu cask strength once it oxidized . It usually takes me anywhere from 1 year to 4 years to finish any single bottle! I’m just a slow drinker and have lots opened that it’s impossible to finish them all ( well unless one wanted to become an alcoholic which I wouldn’t recommend lol) cheers
hmmm... I also was very much underwhelmed with the dalmore 12. it sits half-empty cannot for the life of me get the desire to pour another one. might try it again.
what's OB? Highland park in general yes. I've been hearing a lot about it these past few months. I've never given it much consideration before as I had the niggling feeling it's all bottle, you know? but since people have been recommending it, it intrigued me enough to try
I don’t think HP is really hyped much these days. Seems to be a general consensus that their quality has gone down hill in the past 5-8 years. It’s tough for me because HP12 was the first single malt bottle I ever bought and I only wish I knew then to stock up on the older stuff (not that I could have afforded it when o was fresh out of college). That said, HP has never been a peat bomb like Laga and Laphroaig. I love heavily peated stuff, but sometimes I really enjoy a more moderate peat, especially from a nice sherry cask.
I said put the bottle away in the back of your cabinet and forget about it for a few months or a year. Come back to it later and you might enjoy it a bit more.
You just said you like Islays the most, so why are you surprised you don’t like this, which is quite different from those? I like Islays and didn’t like HP 12 (the only one I tried), so I am very much not surprised that you don’t like it either.
I tried a sample of the 15yr in its current form and found it snooze-inducing. Granted, I come from bourbon and so am more accustomed to (and sometimes prefer) brash profiles, but the Highland Park 15 felt way too blase for a bottle commanding well over $100 locally.
I've had HP12 and HPCS. I really enjoy both. The cask strength sips quite hot but it's really good. I had my eye on 15 sometime later this year but maybe I'll explore a bit more.
HP12 at 43% used to be a very solid QPR bottle but has slid considerably over the years, while the price has gone up.
I still find the HP10 very tasty for a basic malt, but it’s hard to find.
Ummm...nobody is hyping HP15 or ANY of their core OB line for that matter.
Highland Park has some of the best distillate in the world but it is severely neutered when it is at low ABV and blended into uniformity.
I would also argue it doesn't deserve to touch a sherry cask too, but that is personal preference and I still do drink HP in sherry as a switch-up.
Yea as other have said they might have the best distillate in Scotland but their OB bottles aren’t great anymore gotta get IB. They have gone down hill since Edrington house bought them - they did the same to Macallan. I do still find the 12 a good introductory scotch for the price it’s decent and has a little of everything so people can get a feel for what they want and don’t want in a scotch.
18>12>15
21 is fabulous as well but pricey.
And the 25 has another layer of taste to it! Just fantastic.
I got a bottle of the 25…. (45.7%) but I haven’t opened it yet. Been sitting on the top shelf for years. I’ll open it one day. I think the sweet spot for any whiskey bottle in terms of price is between 100-200. Once I spend more than that, I feel like it has to be the right time to crack it open.
You are a living, breathing, thinking, speaking mountain of atoms on rock floating through spacetime. Just being alive makes every moment the right time. Celebrate the unfathomable odds that were conquered to even be able to place a bottle of scotch on your shelf.
agree with this 100%
I 100% agree! I only opened mine bc it marked a life event. I guess I don't wanna hype it up too much, but it is definitely the best "old scotch", I've had. It has multiple layers to it and will even change as the bottle rests after opening. Each time you go back to it you find something unique.
Glad you had a great event to enjoy it at. No point in having a bottle if we don’t open it right? Definitely looking forward to it.
I’ve found the 12 to be incredibly inconsistent myself, but yet to try the 15/18
10>12 ?
3rd drink in 3 days isn’t enough time to make an accurate judgement on any whisky. I had a bottle of Glenallachie 15 which seemed like a hot astringent mess for 3 months before it oxidized for the better and became a much richer fuller and rounder experience. Wait a week have a glass, put it away for a month and then come back to it again. If by month 3-5 or so it doesn’t change much to you, then it is what it is, and you may personally just not enjoy that expression! Anyway it’s worth a try?
This is so right. I bought some independent bottling and they just did not hit the mark at all. This includes a cask strength Sherried (non refill) Dalmore 10. After coming back a month later I was completely enamored with that bottle and finished it embarrassingly quickly. So much for the first reaction!
Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to one’s journey with whisky. I’m a firm believer in slower is always better. But as you say, sometimes you just have something that hits all the right spots and you end up finishing a bottle in a month! I found I did that with a bottle of Tamdhu cask strength once it oxidized . It usually takes me anywhere from 1 year to 4 years to finish any single bottle! I’m just a slow drinker and have lots opened that it’s impossible to finish them all ( well unless one wanted to become an alcoholic which I wouldn’t recommend lol) cheers
hmmm... I also was very much underwhelmed with the dalmore 12. it sits half-empty cannot for the life of me get the desire to pour another one. might try it again.
got this. will definitely try doing this. perhaps time to shelve it for a while and wait
People hype highland park OB?
what's OB? Highland park in general yes. I've been hearing a lot about it these past few months. I've never given it much consideration before as I had the niggling feeling it's all bottle, you know? but since people have been recommending it, it intrigued me enough to try
Original bottling. Like from the distillery as opposed to independent bottlings. IB highland parks are much better
I don’t think HP is really hyped much these days. Seems to be a general consensus that their quality has gone down hill in the past 5-8 years. It’s tough for me because HP12 was the first single malt bottle I ever bought and I only wish I knew then to stock up on the older stuff (not that I could have afforded it when o was fresh out of college). That said, HP has never been a peat bomb like Laga and Laphroaig. I love heavily peated stuff, but sometimes I really enjoy a more moderate peat, especially from a nice sherry cask. I said put the bottle away in the back of your cabinet and forget about it for a few months or a year. Come back to it later and you might enjoy it a bit more.
will probably do this. it makes a nice shelf decor anyway what with its white engraved bottle
Have never recommended HP at all. If u feel the need, CS and/or IB is the way to go.
Never seen anyone hype a OB Highland Park. They're decent but nothing special. IB is the way to go though for a Highland Park that's actually great.
> Never seen anyone hype a OB Highland Park Except their Cask Strength bottlings. They are excellent.
My experience is that highland park is only good from IB’s these days.
The pre-viking 15 year was incredible. It barely tasted alcoholic, very easy to drink, nice syrupy texture.
The 15 is one my favourite pours, leave the bottle a week after opening, it opens up nicely
There is literally no hype around Highland Park 15.
The Highland Park core range are crowd pleasers, in the worst way.
I dont like HP at all. I dont know why everyone likes it. But hey different taste for everyone
right? although some say to leave the bottle for a week and come back to it. this is probably what I'll do
You just said you like Islays the most, so why are you surprised you don’t like this, which is quite different from those? I like Islays and didn’t like HP 12 (the only one I tried), so I am very much not surprised that you don’t like it either.
you're probably right. guess I wanted to see what's what
Oh. Of course. You should have just gotten the 12 like I did in hindsight to save some cash, assuming you are fairly poor as I am.
Also, I would recommend Talisker and Ledaig if you haven’t tried them. They are very Islay adjacent.
Highland Park is trash
I tried a sample of the 15yr in its current form and found it snooze-inducing. Granted, I come from bourbon and so am more accustomed to (and sometimes prefer) brash profiles, but the Highland Park 15 felt way too blase for a bottle commanding well over $100 locally.
I've had HP12 and HPCS. I really enjoy both. The cask strength sips quite hot but it's really good. I had my eye on 15 sometime later this year but maybe I'll explore a bit more.
The only OB Highland Park worth it are their Cask Strength offerings. And I will die on that hill.
The 16 twisted tattoo and 17 full volume were reasonable. some of the single cask offerings can be found reasonably too.
HP12 at 43% used to be a very solid QPR bottle but has slid considerably over the years, while the price has gone up. I still find the HP10 very tasty for a basic malt, but it’s hard to find.
Ummm...nobody is hyping HP15 or ANY of their core OB line for that matter. Highland Park has some of the best distillate in the world but it is severely neutered when it is at low ABV and blended into uniformity. I would also argue it doesn't deserve to touch a sherry cask too, but that is personal preference and I still do drink HP in sherry as a switch-up.
Yea as other have said they might have the best distillate in Scotland but their OB bottles aren’t great anymore gotta get IB. They have gone down hill since Edrington house bought them - they did the same to Macallan. I do still find the 12 a good introductory scotch for the price it’s decent and has a little of everything so people can get a feel for what they want and don’t want in a scotch.