highland park 12 years

Emmelle recently asked me to blog about a variety of items that I'm interested in, so she can quickly navigate the latest posts to inform future gift-giving needs. She is a smart cookie, that one. I contend, however, that I already do that. If you scroll through the contents of these pages, I think it's fairly easy to identify what holds my interest. Moreover, it's easy to determine some of the cyclical phases I go through with my interests (obsessions).

The latest: single malt whiskies. I'm specifically avoiding the term "scotch" as my studies are showing that single malt varietals distilled outside of Scotland can please the palate much like their kilt-adorned brothers.

Now, I've always enjoyed whiskies on a night out. They've been a good ally on those nights when my stomach is too full for beer, and I can't make a decision on a cocktail. I'd most frequently sipped on a Jameson neat (not a single malt) in the past and have received a couple bottles of single malt scotch as gifts. I once attended a Johnny Walker tasting and finally had the opportunity to taste the ubiquitous Blue Label (I remember it tasting like vanilla). I drank (The) Macallan because my cousin told me to. Then I drank Oban because my cousin told me to. I accepted splashes of water in my dram as several enthusiasts told me that it would open up the flavors. I firmly believed that older aged whiskies are always smoother and taste better than younger ones. That's more or less my experience with whiskies; I'm fairly certain I had never purchased a bottle of single malt for myself until very recently. I've enjoyed them without knowing what I'm really tasting but television and print ads have beaten me over the head that as a man, I should know how to properly enjoy a finely crafted whisky.

Enough!

Let's hit the reset button.

A couple of weeks ago, after a particularly inspiring night out sipping single malt scotch at an upscale downtown hotel bar, I purchased my first bottle of single malt scoth - Highland Park 12 Year (less than $40). Leading up to this purchase, I had read that this was a great introduction into single malt, a nice blend of sweet and smoke for an underdeveloped whisky palate. One particular blogger that I stumbled upon feels that it's the best 12 year single malt in the world. That's a lot of hyperbole, but hey, I'm pretty impressionable, especially with all of the truths that I read about on the internets.

Highland Park 12 Year is certainly delicious. I was delighted by a wonderfully malty, butterscotch-esque scent on the nose. That sweetness remains on the tongue and finishes with just a little bit of smoke. Nice. There is a certain, unexplainable depth/complexity to this drink that I've noticed only when comparing to another label (details coming soon!) that I recently bought.

Anyway, in the coming years, I'll continue my education of all things single malt and share my tasting notes here. I'm curious to see how my palate develops and whether or not I'm able to improve in my articulation of tasting experiences.

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