Highland Park Orkney 9 Year Old Jack’s Pirate Whisky

Only 87 bottles of this not-so-secret Highland Park were bottled for the Whisky Fair Nurnberg in 2019 and the other 290 bottles (with a slightly different label) were available to the market. This youngling was bottled at cask strength. It is very pale.

The nose holds the middle ground between a waffle with icing sugar and lime juice from a carton. Lots of garden herbs and some forest scents, a hint of sweet smoke and even something new make-y. I daresay okay-ish. Far from grand and a bit HP unworthy, if you know what I mean.

It is sharp and spirity on the palate, much too piquant to be pleasant, on lemon and oranges, caramel, honey and chili peppers. Only midpalate, when your saliva glands have gone into overdrive, does it become palatable. The heather and peat let themselves be discovered quite late.

The finish is long, sweet and peppery at the same time.

I have tried many good things from Jack Wiebers, but this Highland is a bit of a let-down.

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