Highland Park 10 Year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Lately I've been hearing more and more about Highland Park and this is entirely because I've been more interested in conversations about scotch, and by conversations I really just mean videos on the internet and some scattered articles here and there. No one I know personally talks about Highland Park or drinks Highland Park or even really knows anything about Highland Park. From what's been implied to me lately, however, it's a staple of Scottish Scotch drinking. Here in Canada, not so much. I think when I glanced over it at the liquor store a feeling about the name that was in the back of my mind influenced my opinion of this scotch: the combination of Highland and Park just didn't sit right with me. The name seems like the type of name that a crummy apartment complex would use in an failed attempt to seem classy: Highland Park Estates, or Highland Park Towers... both places sound like a good place to buy drugs but not a good place to live.

But maybe in Scotland Highland Park would be a nice place to live, to start a family or buy one of those big furry giant horned cows and live the Scotish dream... whatever the hell that is. Anyway, I decided to overcome my earlier prejudices and pick up a bottle of this well beloved Scotch.

Highland Park 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky seemed like a reasonable introduction to me. As a side note it almost seems like Highland Park 10 Year Old isn't available many places, except Canada and perhaps Holland. Highland Park Distilleries don't even list it on their own website. But I could be wrong. This comes in a 750ml (North American market sized bottle) at 40% alc/vol and runs for $64.99 in Nova Scotia.

There's no mention of if they chilfilter or not and no mention of colour, so I'm assuming they chilfiler and add some colour.

The nose begins with a little peat and smoke mixed with a medicinal scent (the medicinal scent was stronger before we added water, it was more dominant in the overall smell but the adding of water lessened it's affects or perhaps just increase the other smells). There's sweetness and a very light fruitiness maybe with a hint of melon. Gentle and appealing, but not overly complex.

The palate begins with some spice (slight ginger feel) and some, what I shall say are earthy tastes (some mild peat and wood), mixed with a fading essence of smoke, and more medicinal flavours. This all vanishes quickly as the finish comes in with an increasing sweetness and finally a smooth butterscotch taste. A little bit of wood.

Overall a fine Scotch but nothing terribly exciting. However I probably won't be buying this again. But it was good enough to consider purchasing some of the older aged Highland Parks sometime in the future, but doing so won't be a priority.

Glenfarclas 21 year old

Glenfarclas 21 year old single malt is a Speyside single malt that is presented here at 43% alcohol. There's no mention or care to mention if it's chilfiltered or if there's any colour added. This is an old traditional scotch and I guess they don't feel they need to get involved in the latest descriptive trends. They probably should, however. This is important information. It gets a little bit of Scottish mist once you add water and has a light golden colour to it, so perhaps it isn't chilfiltered and perhaps there isn't colour added, but they haven't said it outright, so it's hard to pin it down.

This scotch is very sweet and candy like. The nose begins with some very fruity (apples and pears) scents mixed with a rich malty feel, orange zest or perhaps even candied orange merge with something that's not quite toffee, not quite caramel and not quite chocolate fudge. Perhaps just a beautiful combination of all three?

The palate has something that reminds us a little of cinnamon hearts, sort of sweet but with a slight hot tingle, and a very light touch of oak.

The sweetness remains in the finish with a strong chocolately fudge flavour that comes in slowly and smoothly building slightly in a delicious sort of way. Afterwards there's a lingering dried woody taste that is subtle and not overbearing.

Glenfarclas 21 year old seems to be a pretty good scotch, but maybe we're just not ready for some  of the subtleties in it. It's good and we don't have anything bad to say about it, but it doesn't stand out as being particularly excellent in any way. We're pretty pleased to have had a chance to taste it but will probably explore some other scotches rather than picking this up again.