Quite a rare Highland Park 1972, bottled in Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection, almost 25 years ago already. Hard to come by, but a bottle with a great reputation.
Highland Park 21 yo 1972 (56,5%, Cadenhead ‘Authentic Collection’ 1994, sherrywood matured)
Nose: starts a bit flat, with lots of dates, honey and caramelized nuts, but it folds open to a wonderfully deep sherry nose. Brighter fruity notes (raspberries, oranges, raisins). Hints of allspice and ginger. Leathery notes and something waxy. Faint heather smoke. A bit of musty cellars.
Mouth: rather perfect, heavy sherry, with a superb balance of fruity notes (prunes, figs), honey, herbal notes (eucalyptus, sage), spices (pepper, ginger, clove) and wood. Tobacco and leather. Big toffee notes, as well as coffee syrup and subtle tarry notes.
Finish: very long, minty, winey, mostly on prunes and herbs.
Great Highland Park, among the best heavily sherried expressions I’ve had. Just below the 1971 for Binny’s which I found slightly more jammy and fragrant. Rarely seen, even in auctions. Thanks, Jens.
Score: 93/100