Acquired – Gift, December 2013
Ratings:
78/100 – Whisky Bible 2013 (and 2014)
84/100 – Ralfy – His review on YouTube (June 2014)
91/100 – Whisky Bitch – Her review on YouTube (December 2011)
Ratings can be confusing. When Ralfy reviewed this 12yo back in 2009, the Whisky Bible 2009 rated this bottle at 91/100 and Ralfy 88/100. But the bible was actually based on whisky tasted in 2008. In 2013 Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible, drops this 12yo down to 78/100 and says he hopes the fall from grace is due to freak casks. He goes on to say that the Highland Park 12yo is one of his favourite whiskies of all time. But I got this bottle in 2013, where as his review was based on a bottle from 2012. I’m just hoping the whisky used for this 12yo in 2013 was an improvement on the 2012 batch!
As if by magic my copy of the Whisky Bible 2014 arrived this morning – woo0-hoo! 🙂 And the entry for this 12yo is, drum roll please, still 78/100 with the same comment as the 2013 bible! Now, either the whisky hasn’t changed, which might be possible, or the author has been a bit lazy here. I have to wonder how much of the bible is simply copied forward year-upon-year. I suppose you could say the same about most dictionaries but whisky changes more frequently than words.
I’m yet to try this 12yo but I’m tempted now to track down an older bottle, pre 2012, to have as a comparison. I bet I end up loving this version because it will still have the Highland Park flavours, which are delicious!
Whisky Den 