Two Highland Park oldies from Duncan Taylor

It’s always interesting to try very old whiskies and discover layers of nuances lying there dreaming after all those years in a cask. Some of my best tasting experiences have emerged from tasting old stuff but some of my biggest disappointments have also come from oldies. Time to try a couple of old Highland Park’s from Duncan Taylor.

Highland Park 37 yo 05.1966/09.2003, Duncan Taylor Peerless, cask 4642, 169 bottles, 41.3%

Nose: dusty and moist cellar where different kind of berries are stored. A hint of exotic fruit – coconut and pineapple – in a combination with sweat and used socks.

Taste: Sweet wood, soft pineapple and rhubarb. In the finish I get apple pie, bitter wood and black tea.

Rating: 85

Highland Park 40 yo 28.03.1968/11.11.2008, Duncan Taylor Peerless, cask 3465, 177 bottles, 40.1%

Nose: Exotic mixture of fruits jumps in your face. Then some dried flowers (violets?), mothballs and mint leaves followed by cigarette tobacco.

Taste: Flowers, bitter chocolate, autumn leaves in the forest. The fruit seems on it’s way but suddenly stops like a car at a red traffic light. Only some juicy wood remains.

Rating: 84

Some interesting notes along the way in these old HP’s but the lack of oomph is prominent. I wonder how these old timers would have tasted if they had been bottled when they were 20-25 years old..