Highland Park Hjärta

Fra www.whiskyfun.com:

Highland Park 12 yo ‘Hjarta’ (58.1%, OB, 3,900 bottles, 2009) A new baby with a beautiful ‘Scandinavian design’ label, exclusive to the distillery, its online shop and Scandinavia indeed. Adapting a label’s design to a targeted market is an interesting idea, let’s only hope they won’t add berets and baguettes to the next bottling for France ;-). Colour: gold. Nose: this new baby is obviously much more influenced by the casks, starting with rather heady notes of liquorice, butterscotch and cappuccino. There are also notes of sweet white wine (white Port comes to mind) and quite some cut grass once again. But it’s very punchy whisky, let’s add water now. With water: the malted barley comes to the front as well as hints of cooked butter and quite some vanilla. Also a little lemon balm, nougat and then we’re back on butterscotch and maybe lemon-sprinkled waffles (I’m sorry). Mouth (neat): once again, this is strong! Starts on big notes of bubblegum and strawberry liqueur coated with many spices from the oak and a good deal of honey sauce. Something that reminds me of that spicy red Thai sauce in a certain way. A little peat it seems, but it’s hot so, once again, water please! With water: excellent! Water worked wonders here, the whole getting extremely well balanced, with a little bit of many things that give a great whole. Peat, liquorice, various dried fruits, herbs, malt, vanilla, coffee, honey… Very ‘full’. Finish: long, a tad resinous, waxier, liquoricy… Comments: this one needs water, and trying it only neat would be a crime in my view. A rich young Highland Park. SGP:552 - 89 points.