Highland Park Valknut

I’ve said it before that I’m not put off by the marketing aesthetic chosen by Highland Park. When they announced this series and it was one peatier than their typical expressions, it seemed a like a good one to explore. I reviewed Valkyrie ages ago, and here I am finally getting to this one.

Highland Park Valknut, Island (Orkney) Single Malt, 46.8% ABV

Minutia: Matured for some amount of time in Sherry casks and bottled in 2018, the second of three in the Viking Legend series. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished; 1.1.

Nose: Fruit, nut, Sherry (really quick). Leather later. Eventually a “wet”, musty aroma.

Taste: Smoke, spice, citrus custard/creamsicle/orange-vanilla soft serve (but not as sweet as that actual product).

Finish: Earth. Smoke, chocolate, oak/char. Long.

Quite nice. It’s distinctly different but similar to Valkyrie. It does feel like the next step in that line. Hopefully there’s a shorter latency between this and Valfather than Valkyrie to this one, as I’m really looking forward to it, and if the trend continues, I’ll like that one more.

Score: 84

Musical Evocation: Borknagar – “The Eye of Oden”

Port Charlotte MC:01

I’m always interested in at least trying these experimental releases from Port Charlotte. If I could I’d have them all, but not many (if any) make it over here to the States (around me, anyway), so when I see a sample available I go for it.

Port Charlotte MC:01, Islay Single Malt, 56.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009, 48% matured in French oak casks for 6 years, 52% in American whiskey casks, then put together and matured in Sicilian Marsala casks for 2 years, bottled ultimately after 9 years of maturation on January 16, 2019. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny; 1.4.

Nose: Hammy, smoky. A sweetness trying to break through. After a bit in the glass it does in the form of some vanilla/cream and red fruit with spices.

Taste: Thick. Heat/spice. Orange.

Finish: Warm smoke. Salt. Intensity is short-lived, but the more subtle salt and smoke linger long.

A really strong whisky. Hopefully they continue to make it. If I find myself in a travel shop that has it I’ll definitely be getting a bottle. Between this and CC:01 I am really enjoying this Exploratory Cask series, and I’m looking forward to getting whatever ones I can.

Score: 91

Musical Evocation: Lana Del Rey – “Gods and Monsters”

Kilkerran 11 2009 Cadenhead's

I picked this up at an auction for probably far more than it would warrant at the actual shop, but this stuff goes fast and I don’t even have access to it in the States. I was curious about checking out some IB Kilkerran, particulary a Cadenhead’s bottling as it’s the same owner.

Kilkerran 11, 2009 Vintage, Cadenhead's Authentic Collection, Campbeltown Single Malt, 56.5% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009 and matured in a bourbon barrel for 11 years and bottled in spring 2021 yielding 204 bottles. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amber; 0.7.

Nose: Malt, unscented wax, a bit antiseptic, actually some of the tangerine the tin notes mention. Some vanilla later.

Taste: Fruity, a kick, honey. Sour malt.

Finish: Honey and nutty. Tropical fruit melee. Salty. Long. A maltiness lingers on after the rest.

While it’s not my favorite Kilkerran, it does quite nicely given my preference for smoky flavors. I’ve grown to appreciate maltiness more, and this has that to some extent throughout, which I quite enjoyed. I was a bigger fan of the fruit, though, they were fun.

Score: 83

Musical Evocation: Lisa Hannigan – “Roads” (live Portishead cover)

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.HBR “A horcrux in fiendfyre”

Since I did the 10 sister cask reviews, I thought it would be fun to throw about a dram’s worth of each into a bottle, let it sit for a bit, and review it as a single malt of 10 casks.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.HBR, Islay Single Malt, ~60% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on Octover 17, 2013 and matured in the variety of casks mentioned in reviews #241-250 for 6 or 7 years, blended together by me, and I put it in the Heavily Peated flavor profile and named it “A horcrux in fiendfyre”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep copper; 1.0.

Nose: Dough, spice, char, must. Slight fruit.

Taste: Hot, woody, honey.

Finish: Charred meat, salt, burnt nuts. Long.

This worked out better than expected, but not as well as I’d hoped. Despite being all peated Bunnahabhain, there were times where I felt “This is like quintessential ___.” That blank was filled in with Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg at separate times. I’ve not yet decided if I’ll drink it now and again, or let it sit a while longer, or maybe use it as the base for a solera bottle, but I’ll be happy enough with any of those realities.

Score: 80

Kilchoman 5 2006 SMWS 129.1 "A Smoky, Peachy, Yoghurt of Loveliness"

I was bidding in an auction a few months ago and this happened to come up. Kilchoman IBs are rather rare (as far as I know only a handful of casks have been released by other bottlers, and about half of them were SMWS casks from about ten years ago) so I bid on it, and while it cost a pretty penny, I ended up getting it for much less than what X.1 bottles can go for, particularly from favored distilleries. Anyway, while it tanks the value of the bottle, that’s not why whisky is made so I opened it up and here are my notes.

Kilchoman 5, 2006 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 129.1, Islay Single Malt, 60.2% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on June 28, 2006 and matured in a 1st-fill bourbon barrel for 5 years yielding 235 bottles. This bottle predates the creation of their flavor profiles and was named “A Smoky, Peachy, Yoghurt of Loveliness”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep gold; 0.8.

Nose: Damn. A minty, stingy (related to stinging, not cheap), salty, medicinal smoke. Snuff. Some kind of candy, maybe mixed up with incense. Could smell this forever.

Taste: Intense. Spice (cayenne), vanilla, medicinal/anise (like one of those lozenges that reminds me of a Rollo or whatever that disc candy is that nobody wanted on Halloween). You can find some peach in there.

Finish: Long. Oaky smoke, a floral note. Tobacco on the back end.

Damn, what a shame this was the first Kilchoman cask the SMWS released. It’s one of the more enjoyable whiskies I’ve had the pleasure of tasting and a lot of the X.1s end up unopened as collector’s items. It’s one of those drams that remind you what made you fall for whisky in the first place. Way more going on than a 5 year old should have.

Score: 93

Musical Evocation: Meat Loaf feat. Marion Raven – “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”