LET ' S TALK ABOUT WHISKY
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LET ' S TALK ABOUT WHISKY
by David Beaufort-Dysart
Hello , fellow ‘ whisky lovers ’ sadly we are on our last leg of Scotland ’ s whisky trail , and so we are finishing at the most northerly of Islands , the Orkneys .
The Orkney Islands have produced whisky since the late seventeen hundreds and as all whisky back then , it would have been made illicitly . Highland Park and Scapa are the two distilleries on the island .
Magnus Eunson , a smuggler who turned to whisky making was the original founder of Highland Park and is said to be of Viking decent . If you look at the Norwegian flag and flag of Orkney , they look remarkably similar with a blue cross and red background . This is a call to the Scandinavian connection of the Orkneys , as these Islands were part of The Scandinavian Kingdom , all the way up until 1468 .
Orkney weather is typically windy : these blustery winds carry the salty sea spray across the island , adding a lovely side note to the whisky . Interestingly , the result of this unique climate is that distillers lose less ‘ angels share ’, only around 0.5-1.0 % for those angels , great more whisky in the barrel I would say !
Before we dive in let ’ s recap on our Scotch whisky journey so far , starting at the bottom of our Whisky Map in the Lovley Lowlands and moving on up !
• LOWLAND - Glenkinchie 12
• CAMPBELTOWN - Glen Scotia , Harbour Malt
• ISLAY - Laphroaig 10
• HIGHLAND - Dalwhinnie 15
• SPEYSIDE - Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength
• ISLE OF SKYE - Talisker
• ORKNEY ISLANDS - Highland Park ( our destination )
Highland Park produces whiskies that are full bodied with a slightly salty , smoky character . Some other expressions of HP include :
• 10-Year-Old ‘ Viking Scars ’
• 12-Year-Old ‘ Viking Honour ’
• 15-Year-Old ‘ Viking Heart ’
• 18-Year-Old ‘ Viking Pride ’ ( our chosen one !)
Before we taste this treasure let us have a recap on how I taste , again try this method or ' go your own way '!
The Glass : ideally , I recommend you use a Glencairn glass , I ( and many ) see it as the official whisky tasting glass .
Pour and nose : Add 20-25 ml of whisky to the glass , give it a gentle swirl then waft the glass from side to side under the nose ( smelling lightly is the key ) you need to get past the first hit of alcohol , then look for the character of your dram , try and focus on first impressions ; fruit ? floral ? woody ? smoke ? peat ?
For this month ’ s featured whisky , we have blown our budget , excusable though as we should leave Scotland with something very special and one to savour .
This is Highland Park 18-Year-Old .
As ' Jim Murray ', the famed whisky writer says , ‘ it ' s a must have ’! This whisky was named best spirit in the world by a leading US drinks magazine , note I said best spirit in the world , so this whisky was judged not only against whiskies , but rums , gins , vodkas , tequilas , and other spirits . This 18-year-old is Highland Parks most awarded single malt .
Just a few of the medals .
• GOLD – International spirit challenge 2020
• GOLD – International spirit challenge 2021
• GOLD – Scotch whisky master ’ s 2019
• GOLD – Scotch whisky master ’ s 2020
• GOLD – Scotch whisky master ’ s 2021
They also won Scotch whisky Ambassador of the year for 2022 , this was the 2nd time winning this prestigious award and they were the first distillery ever to win it twice !
When I first tasted HP 18 , I just thought this is ‘ harmony ’ for me , it is close to perfection ; with notes of sweet soft madeira cake , cherry , and subtle spice , all wrapped up in some lovely smoky honey .
As one writer said , ‘ imagine sticking your nose in an empty honey pot , one that has had some peaty embers in there ’! I envision Winnie the Pooh , nose in jar ! “ Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart .”
Colour : medium - dark , gold Nose : rich oak , heather honey , smoke . Finish : toffee , honey , dark chocolate , black cherry , peat
( Big thanks to my favourite Whisky Bar , ‘ The Puffin Rooms ’ for the generous loan of the bottle !)
As Mark Twain famously quoted " too much of anything is bad , but too much good whiskey is barely enough " you may notice there was an ' E ' in whiskey there ... hence for the next stop we are crossing some of the pond , well dipping our toes more like and guess what ? you do not need a passport !
Until next time ... Slàinté wirrallife . com 25