Highland Park Fire Edition

Highland Park Fire Edition, 15 YO, 45,2 %

So, this is the Highland Park Fire Edition. The follow-up to the Ice Edition. This whisky is again a limited release, with a total outturn of 28 000 bottles. It has been matured in refill port-seasoned casks.

You can buy the Highland Park Fire Edition in Sweden at SEK 1999 (40048), and in the UK at GBP 190. The exact release date for Norway has escaped me, but it could be May or September 2017.

Nose: Warm and spicy from the first sniff, so they seem to have pretty much nailed the correct 'element' this time around as well (see my review of the Ice Edition). There's a hint of heather honey here, but it is well hidden. What I do find though, is a lot of dust. Cinnamon dust, dry oak dust, dark chocolate dust and coal dust. Quite unusual...but not bad.

Taste: Dry-ish mouthfeel and medium to full body. Oaky, spicy and dry. That's the short and sweet of it; well, actually not all that sweet. Hints of ashes, dry smoke, fruit cocktails and vanilla. Hints of port wine?

Finish: Medium long finish. It does soften up a bit, and I find licorice, chewing gum and port-like notes. It lands softly.

Comments: Not quite a roaring fire, and not overly spicy, but it does take the mind in the direction of Fire. I do wish it had a bit more complexity. To me it does not reach the same high levels as the Ice Edition and the Valhalla Series.

Score (86/100)

Image from Master of Malt.

Sláinte! - Thomas