Highland Park Norge

Highland Park Norge, 16 YO, 59.7 %

This is a single cask Highland Park exclusive for Norway. The name “Norge” is the official Norwegian name for Norway.

The Highland Park Norge was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2019. It spent all its 16 years in a refill butt (cask #4921). All in all 606 bottles were released.

I find it curious that also Highland Park Kaupang and Highland Park OWF 15 YO, two other Norway exclusives, were bottled at 59.7 %. This leads me to conclude these are not quite cask strength but have been slightly watered down to get below the 60 % ABV max limit in Norway.

You can buy the Highland Park Norge at NOK 1830 (12019501).

Nose: Intense and attention grabbing dram. It certainly has the dried fruits expected of a sherry butt matured whisky, but also a vibrant undertone that is citrus like and oaky at the same time. With time coffee, tomato plant and mustard seeds. Whiffs of smoke, or perhaps more that of a morning coffee enjoyed at Hobbister Moor.

Taste: Rich, full bodied and quite dry. Coffee again. And dried fruits. If sweetness is the fuel of this particular rocket, then we burn through that fuel fairly quickly. It’s intense, then gone. Leaving us with greener and more fruity notes. A fair amount of peppery notes.

Finish: Medium long finish. Remains surprisingly unsweet. More pepper, more coffee. Bonfire that’s just been put out with a couple of buckets of sea water. Softly green in the end.

Comment: Tea or coffee? Try this instead.

Score 85/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas