• Join, for peat' sake
  • highland park 12 years old

    Highland Park 12 Years Old 88
    Distillery
    Highland Park
    Style
    Single Malt
    Release
    Unspecified
    Age
    12 Years
    Alcohol
    40% abv.
    Region
    Scotland, Highlands
    Bottled For
    Distillery

    The first proprietary bottling of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky was as a 12 year old in 1979. It remains the core expression of the Highland Park range and is a smooth, balanced single malt, with a rich full flavour and a gentle smokey finish.

    review by c2

    82
    Color
    Gold - Copper
    Nose
    Lots of malt, cream cracker, raw honey, raisin sweetness, nutty oil, plywood/new furniture made from compress wood.
    Body
    Medium body. Fresh entry.
    Palate
    Sweet and sour, like eating orange and lemon together. Wood. Very mild smoke and peat at the background. Turns rather bitter, like chewing on fresh orange peel.
    Finish
    Almost like a scented candle. Mild smoke, but more like steam fused with honey and maybe a bit of peat? Constantly felt like sticking an orange peel in the nose, bitter finish. Doesn't last very long but after the bitterness is gone, there's a faint barley sweetness.

    It felt like chewing through a Mandarin orange dipped in honey together with the skin. Sweet first, bitter later. Extremely malty, and the Sherry cask is obvious. Smoke and peat is overshadowed by the sweetness. Not my type of scotch but even then it's interesting enough for me to enjoy it.

    review by maibockaddict

    95
    Color
    Golden Yellow
    Nose
    Fresh Orange and/or citrus, Oak, sweet alcohol, with hints of barbecue.
    Body
    Medium body and smooth.
    Palate
    This definitely reminds me of really good barbecue. Light smokiness, fruit, wood, all well balanced. Has a hint of charcoal/lighter fluid taste like when you first ignite a charcoal fire.
    Finish
    Pleasing long finish of subtle smoke and wood. No harshness at all. Leaves you wanting more (provided you did not have too much :-)).

    Love this Malt. This is a favorite and will always try to have some on hand. Hands down the best for the price, and even better than many more expensive Malts.

    review by tinfoilhat

    92
    Color
    Light gold
    Nose
    Neat - Peat, honey, heather, alcohol, some apple. Beautiful. With water the alcohol is gone and a bit more of the apple shows up.
    Body
    Medium full. Chewy.
    Palate
    Honey then gentle peat. Slight hint of salt.
    Finish
    Long, smooth, tingly. A bit dry, and then the peat shows up again at the end. Leaves you wanting more. Very dangerous.

    Hardly any need for another review of this. Absolutely one of the finest available. I pray constantly that the price remains where it is so that it stays affordable. Great neat, and great with a small splash. Wonderful stuff.

    review by coloradodram

    88
    Color
    Gold/Light amber.
    Nose
    Toffee, butterscotch, heather, gentle smoke.
    Body
    Medium bodied, medium gritty, medium oily, consistent.
    Palate
    Honey, toffee, smoke - confirms the nose.
    Finish
    Short, fresh, satisfying, sufficiently dry. Conistency appreciated.

    There are three scotches I consider apropos for aperitif or dessert: Glenlivet 18, Glenmorangie Nectar D'or, and this one. It's a can't miss, and a great value...

    review by anonymous

    82
    Color
    perfect
    Nose
    I prepare to smell my own way, try to avoid generalized terms.
    Body
    Also prepare to drink my own way, cliches not always suitable.
    Palate
    hint of smoke, lovely notes struck. Not bravura but v delicious
    Finish
    Admirable balance, not the most dramatic of its outer island cousins but lovely nonetheless

    Always thought this was beautiful whisky. KL

    review by thegrinch

    88
    Color
    Light gold, amber
    Nose
    Burn/alcohol, light underlying peat and vanilla
    Body
    Light and smooth with a hint of burn. Not particularly oily.
    Palate
    Light peat, hint of orange/mandarin, maybe some toffee?
    Finish
    Lightly burning smoky peat. Kind of like your mouth saying "Ahhhhh....."

    A fantastic value! I first reviewed this immediately after opening the bottle - this was a mistake! Every pour since then has been better than the last. All of the flavors I describe above become more prominent and the silkiness of the oil feel improves as the burn disappears. This is a top tier spirit!

    review by anonymous

    91
    Color
    Gold or light straw
    Nose
    Honey or light fruit with the right balance of peat.
    Body
    Medium
    Palate
    Honey,Smoke,Peat, Light Fruit
    Finish
    SMOOTH. Calming.

    For the price and quality you get this is a wonderful scotch whiskey. One of my favorites. A nice all round whiskey for any occasion.

    review by anonymous

    85
    Color
    Rich straw.
    Nose
    Flowers, honey, malt, smoke.
    Body
    Medium.
    Palate
    Sugared fruit, malt, grains, vanilla, honey, smoke, lemon tea.
    Finish
    Medium-long, honey and fruit, malty, barley (like a nice Belgian Palm beer)

    Very balanced whisky for such a young age. Not too heavy and therefore good as an aperitif. Altogether very special.

    review by gear

    85
    Color
    Medium amber
    Nose
    Smokey incense, unlit cigar, pear, orange zest. A little water reveals some bread dough and sawed oak.
    Body
    Just a touch oily--like vinegar with a few drops of oil in it. It glides through the mouth easily without cloying.
    Palate
    Smokey peat is front and center with a bit of honey playing backup. A little saltiness and butterscotch after opening with water.
    Finish
    A light warm tingle with a lingering smokiness like after eating a perfectly charred steak with strong presence in the nose (my nose, not its nose). Some bready taste long into the finish. A very nice finish.

    One of my favorite Scotches--and one that will always have a spot in my cabinet. My yardstick for smoky/peaty Scotch.

    review by anonymous

    90
    Color
    Gold
    Nose
    Ripe fruit, mild smoke, well-balanced and appealing.
    Body
    Medium
    Palate
    NIce sweetness, balanced with smoke and a little salt. Very smooth. Almost reminds me of peanut butter.
    Finish
    Long, smooth finish.

    After my first glass, I wasn't sure how I felt about this whisky, but by the end of the bottle it became one of my favorites. Great value, great taste, I strongly recommend.

    review by eddie

    90
    Color
    Medium amber touch of gold..
    Nose
    Citrus, smoke, peat, salty. Made my mind wander...
    Body
    A little on the thin side of medium..
    Palate
    Over ripe oranges, salt. like the taste of the sea, smoke and a little sweet, just nice
    Finish
    Excellent finish, long and the flavors stayed for a while.

    When I drink this it makes me think of where it was made, Rough seas winds, cold and how life was way back when..

    review by williamson

    88
    Color
    Creme de peche
    Nose
    Fresh oranges with a fudgy chocolate feel, and, barely noticeable, subtle smokiness, of which the peat remains absent.
    Body
    A notable mass without too much weightiness.
    Palate
    Complex indeed, I am finding myself trying to follow the story here. Citrus fruits, although a bit on the background, turn ripe and soft, then a hint of vanilla appears, as if to announce a gentle but prominent oakiness, to let the smoke take over and stick around for a while. These all go hand in hand with fine milk chocolate. Magnificent.
    Finish
    One of the longer finishes around. Soothing and still smoky, whilst previous notes gently appear one by one.

    Deliciously satisfying, viciously complex. Functions well as a daily dram, as well as it makes a good favorite among other 12 year olds on an in-depth whisky tasting. This one is known for being the greatest all-rounder in the world of whisky, and it's not for nothing. Spectacular.

    review by jdbuckeye2009

    91
    Color
    Rich amber, slightly coppery
    Nose
    Perfect amount of smoke and peat; citrusy orange peel; just a hint of malty sweetness
    Body
    Medium-bodied; slightly oily
    Palate
    Smoke and peat come through nicely without being overwhelming; malty caramel; hints of dark chocolate and cigars; some sea salt
    Finish
    One of the best in the business! Very long with nice warming and drying; sherry and malt are dominant

    Head and shoulders above anything else in its price range, and it stands toe to toe with more expensive great scotches like Oban and Talisker. I can't fault it for anything, other than that the bottle has a bottom.

    review by np

    82
    Color
    Yellow throughout, hint of amber
    Nose
    Smoke, alcohol dominant, but some peat and earthiness gets through if warm enough.
    Body
    Well balanced & incredibly smooth. Easy drinker.
    Palate
    Mostly smoke and peat, slightly fruity.
    Finish
    Long finish and pleasant burn; salty smoke lingers through and invades the sinuses.

    My first review. A great scotch and a fine introduction to the Highland Region. Excellent for it's drinkability, but some may find the peat/smoke overwhelming. A great value in my opinion.

    review by anonymous

    90
    Color
    Gold hue
    Nose
    sweet sherry nose
    Body
    Medium Body
    Palate
    smooth and elegant
    Finish
    nice long finish with accents of honey

    I started with the Glenlivet 15 year old which was good but then found my palate enjoyed the more complex 12 year Macallan. I am enjoying the Highland Park 12 year old just as much as the Macallan.

    review by mishima

    84
    Color
    Light Staw, A June Sunrise
    Nose
    Floral, a breath of apple blossoms. The lapping brine of the sea. Peat, neither too much to overwhelm the other aromas, nor too little to ignore. Sherry, and its promise of choclate and oranges.
    Body
    Medium thick, a swelling ocean oily rolicking in your mouth
    Palate
    Sweet, a deep honeyed flavour that turns to sherry (that bit o' chocholate) and then fruit, bright fresh fruit, sometimes apples, other bannanas, perhaps something else.
    Finish
    It begins hot, cooling as it dries, leaving your tongue velvet enshrouded, thick and lush with the last touch of honey and sherry vying for dominance.

    This is of course the whisky known as the great all arounder, and for good reason. It represents in turns most of the divergent scottish whisky experiences all in one relatively inexpensive bottle (only the lowlands are not adequately spoken for). It is also the great back and forther. Every time I taste this whisky I find something different. From the same bottle I have found it to be one day more peaty/salty, another more sherry/fruity. Some days it is sweet, others, bone dry. It is like a vibrant friend, always changing, always enganging in some unexpected way.

    review by spike

    90
    Color
    Medium amber
    Nose
    Smooth, medium flavor rofile. The ideal beginner's single malt.
    Body
    Smooth, easy on the palate.
    Palate
    No big flavors, some vanilla, eather, peat.
    Finish
    Nice smooth finish.

    Highly recommended for those in search of a no-fault single-malt scotch.

    review by red hare

    84
    Color
    Dark gold
    Nose
    Oranges, grapes, chocolate, leather and heather. Slight hint of peat.
    Body
    A little oily. Smooth. Slips down in little slugs
    Palate
    A little sour. Oranges, melons, chocolate milkshake. Hints of butter and white chocolate.
    Finish
    Short finish. Bitter, then quickly becomes sherry sweet and peaty. Heather honey.

    Chocolate milkshake with orange Kit Kat.