Highland Park Revisited
I’ve recently learned two things about Highland Park, one of my favorite malts. First, it has a new look – new label, new packaging, new bottle, the works. Second, and perhaps not entirely by coincidence, it was recently declared, by Paul Pacult, who apparently is a recognized whisky-meister, the best spirit in the world.
On the one hand, I’m glad to hear all that, because it validates my own opinion, which is only recognized as authoritative at my kitchen table. I have always liked Highland Park. The 25 is the very best whisky I have ever tasted, and the 12 and 18 respectively, are perhaps the best buys one can find among whiskies of comparable age. Big flavor, really big flavor, with a long finish, and no bite, just as smooth and mellow as you could ever hope for. In fact, it’s dangerously good; the label should contain a warning that it’s easy to drink so much of this malt that you’ll be unable to get out of your chair, leaving no alternative but to order another one.
On the other hand, I hope that all this marketing and makeover doesn’t portend a dramatic price increase. For example, the 25, once quite moderately priced for such a remarkable whisky, is longer easily available. My purveyor advises that the price has shot up to dramatic new levels. Will this now happen to the 18 as well? Macallan 18 is a great whisky, but it really shouldn’t cost $120 or more. However, if the market is willing to support that price, how are we going to find it for $60, where one could always find Highland Park’s 18?
And another thing, perhaps a little thing, but who really wants up-to-date packaging on a single malt? Isn’t part of the attraction of malts that they are all about the whisky, and not about the other baloney? I mean, we’re not talking vodka here. We don’t flavor malts with pineapple, and we don’t mix up pink and green colored cocktails with them. Take, for instance, the Caol Ila label. What scotch drinker doesn’t love that simple old school look? Do we really want a fine malt like Highland Park in some Madison Avenue getup?
Still, in the meantime, I’m glad to find out that I’m a genuine scotch whisky genius. So if anyone wants to find out if their favorite malt is the real deal, or actually sucks, just drop a comment on the blog, and I’ll be happy to provide a posting with my personal and uninformed opinion.
On the one hand, I’m glad to hear all that, because it validates my own opinion, which is only recognized as authoritative at my kitchen table. I have always liked Highland Park. The 25 is the very best whisky I have ever tasted, and the 12 and 18 respectively, are perhaps the best buys one can find among whiskies of comparable age. Big flavor, really big flavor, with a long finish, and no bite, just as smooth and mellow as you could ever hope for. In fact, it’s dangerously good; the label should contain a warning that it’s easy to drink so much of this malt that you’ll be unable to get out of your chair, leaving no alternative but to order another one.
On the other hand, I hope that all this marketing and makeover doesn’t portend a dramatic price increase. For example, the 25, once quite moderately priced for such a remarkable whisky, is longer easily available. My purveyor advises that the price has shot up to dramatic new levels. Will this now happen to the 18 as well? Macallan 18 is a great whisky, but it really shouldn’t cost $120 or more. However, if the market is willing to support that price, how are we going to find it for $60, where one could always find Highland Park’s 18?
And another thing, perhaps a little thing, but who really wants up-to-date packaging on a single malt? Isn’t part of the attraction of malts that they are all about the whisky, and not about the other baloney? I mean, we’re not talking vodka here. We don’t flavor malts with pineapple, and we don’t mix up pink and green colored cocktails with them. Take, for instance, the Caol Ila label. What scotch drinker doesn’t love that simple old school look? Do we really want a fine malt like Highland Park in some Madison Avenue getup?
Still, in the meantime, I’m glad to find out that I’m a genuine scotch whisky genius. So if anyone wants to find out if their favorite malt is the real deal, or actually sucks, just drop a comment on the blog, and I’ll be happy to provide a posting with my personal and uninformed opinion.
posted by pops | 9:16 PM
1 Comments:
G,
I'm pretty sure you can do better than 68 for the HP18 in my store, but then we have 8% sales tax. I've seen good prices on Cragganmore, 12 and double-distilled,and we recently had a push on all the Balvenies. Macallan 12 and 15 have also been reasonably priced as well of late, so maybe Steven's store will have deals on some of these.
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