Highland Park
turn up the first fill bourbon volume
with Highland Park Full Volume.
Highland
Park Full Volume is the latest limited
edition release from the Orkney
distillery.
Full Volume was distilled in 1999 and
bottled in 2017 making it around 18
years old. Rather uniquely for a
Highland Park whisky it was matured
using 100% first fill bourbon casks, a
combination of 481 casks were used, 200
litre barrels and 250 litre hogsheads,
they were filled at strengths of between
63.6% and 63.7%. Full Volume was chill
filtered at just over 4°C and bottled in
2017 at 47.2% ABV.
Now the use of 100% first fill bourbon
casks is a bit of a clue to where the
name Full Volume came from, it is
telling us that Highland Park Master
Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion, has turned
up the volume of the first fill bourbon
casks that has gone into the new
expression to 100%, no traditional
sherry seasoned casks have been used.
The Highland Park fans amongst you will
know that the distillery usually has a
good story behind each of its whiskies
but to promote the new Highland Park
Full Volume they have done something a
little different, they have teamed up
with Saul Davies from the band James.
Saul put a band together which included
Marcus Cordock on bass guitar, Luke Marc
Hughes on drums and Ewan Malloch on lead
guitar. Marcus is an Orkney man himself,
and he organises the Orkney Blues
Festival held every September in
Stromness, so there is some genuine
Viking soul in the band and music, as
well as in the whisky.
Saul put together a track entitled "Full
Volume" at the famous Gorbals sound
studio in Glasgow, it is a tribute to
the early days of rock music recording
and it’s a fitting reflection of the
whisky’s packaging design, inspired by
the classic guitar amps of the 60s and
70s. HP considered what to do with the
track and as well as using it as a
backing track for some of the
promotional videos for the whisky which
you will find on YouTube (including the
video below) they cut 1,000
limited edition 7 inch vinyl singles
which they are giving to the first 1,000
buyers of Highland Park Full Volume.
Considering the price of the Highland
Park 18 year old, £80 for the limited
edition Highland Park Full Volume
distilled in 1999 is a good deal and
having tasted it I would say it is an
very good deal. The Highland Park Full
Volume is available to Highland Park
Inner Circle members via the Highland
Park web site and you will also find the
current Highland Park whisky range available from specialist
online whisky shops such as
The Whisky Exchange and
Master of Malt
Highland Park Full Volume Review
William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Enticing creamy sweet vanilla fudge and
barley sugar, a touch of lemon citrus
and a little oak.
Taste:
A delicious barley sugar candy
sweetness, lemon and vanilla, a touch of
coconut and a lovely very light touch of
Highland Park smoke and oak spice
hanging around the background.
Finish:
Long, a delicious tussle between the oak
and barley sugar, more creamy vanilla
and lemon citrus, a touch of red
liquorice.
Comment:
Have I said delicious already, loved it
from the nose to the lovely long
lingering finish. With no sherry
influence on this whisky, Full Volume
really does show what a high quality
whisky they produce at Highland Park. I
would love to see a Highland Park 100%
first fill bourbon matured expression in
the core range but until then grab
yourself a bottle of Full Volume.
SMW Score
94/100
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