Whisky Focus - Highland Park Dark Origins Review By Murrsy Cohen

Review of Highland Park Dark Origins by Murray Cohen.

This Orkney Islands expression is a new core bottling. The whisky uses 80% first-fill sherry casks (20% refill)-60 % are first-fill European Oak while 20% are first-fill American Oak. This whisky is meant to embody the “dark nature” of Highland Park’s founding father, the norseman Magnus Eunson. According to legend, this character was a butcher and preacher by day and a smuggler at night.

The Highland Park Dark Origins was bottled at 46.8% ABV and is priced at Canadian $99.00 / UK £64.95 from specialist online whisky shop The Whisky Exchange.


Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:

Colour:  Dark Amber.

Nose:  Smoky chocolate progresses to earthy wood and a hit of “sticky lice” giving way to vanilla with an edge. The sherry-peat sandwich fades into spent matches, a grim omen.

Taste: Full bodied. Spice and stewed prunes are “figure” to the woody “ground”. Unfortunately, a double pinch of sulphur grows and spoils the show.

Finish: Lingering, dark chocolate and Kalamata olive juice and froth sparkles but the light is soon put out by sulphur.

Comment: If this was Irish single malt, it would be a leprechauns’ promise unfulfilled. I was expecting more from this dram. A better balance from nose to finish would have achieved more. My detection of sulphur taint ruined my experience. This one needs a refit in my opinion.

Score 70/100

You can find the full current Highland Park whisky range available from specialist Whisky retailers such as The Whisky Exchange
 

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