Highland Park 21 year

Sometimes you save the best for last! That was certainly our experience when we caught up with Andrew Sinat from Duncan Taylor to explore their Octave range at the 2025 London Whisky Show.

Here’s what we had the privilege to try from Duncan Taylor…

Strathclyde Grain 38 year (18 June 1990 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 6444049 46.3% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 003 ~ GBP 275
Craiggellachie 17 year (9 June 2008 / 25 Aug 2025) Madeira Wine Cask 7547103 54% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 62 of 63
Ben Nevis 13 year (17 Feb 2012 / 25 Aug 2025) Moscatel Cask 3645837 52.5% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 79 of 80 ~ GBP 82
Highland Park 21 year (21 June 2004 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 5044289 55.3% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 001
Macallan 32 year (15 June 1993 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 7237679 49.7% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 001
Invergordon Grain 37 year (Feb 1988 / Sep 2025) Cask No 528|35 48.4% (Duncan Taylor) Bottle 001

Strathclyde Grain 38 year (18 June 1990 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 6444049 46.3% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 003

Nose – Sweet peas, white fruits, sherry influence clear, curiously heavy
Palate – Spice and fruit, full-flavoured, warm
Finish – Lasts

What fun to quickly sample a mature grain like this! The Oloroso Octave cask certainly added a nice element.

Craiggellachie 17 year (9 June 2008 / 25 Aug 2025) Madeira Wine Cask 7547103 54% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 62 of 63

Nose – Sour fruits mash, something a bit earthy, yet also sweet, spiced orange tea, Christmas pudding
Palate – Round, full, and bold – think malt, mocha, and chewy fruits
Finish – Red berries

The Madeira Wine cask added an intense berry twist – fun and full flavoured.

Ben Nevis 13 year (17 Feb 2012 / 25 Aug 2025) Moscatel Cask 3645837 52.5% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 79 of 80

Nose – Prunes, toffee, sweet
Palate – Softer and sweeter than we anticipated
Finish – Medium

This was a curiously “un-Ben Nevis” kinda Ben Nevis. I tend to find Ben Nevis a bit “funky” with a dense mineral, umami quality, and saline. Here? None of that!

Highland Park 21 year (21 June 2004 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 5044289 55.3% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 001

Nose – Loads going on here – rich, dark fruits, nutty, yet also with a lighter heather and leather twist
Palate – Complex, the Oloroso element wraps you in a warm embrace, rewarding, with peat at the end
Finish – Long and strong

There was a sense of being both young and old simultaneously.

Macallan 32 year (15 June 1993 / 25 Aug 2025) Oloroso Cask 7237679 49.7% (Duncan Taylor – Octave) Bottle 001

Nose – Prunes
Palate – Full-blown sherry
Finish – Long and strong

One doesn’t often get a chance to try an older Macallan. To then have it made even more intense with the smaller Octave cask, quite something.

Invergordon Grain 37 year (Feb 1988 / Sep 2025) Cask No 528|35 48.4% (Duncan Taylor) Bottle 001

Nose – Wow! Slow down and pay attention
Palate – Smooth, sweet, velvety, gorgeous
Finish – Lingers

An aged grain can be an unexpected surprise. Normally relegated to augmenting single malts to produce a balanced blend, some grains can hold their own.

We did indeed leave the best for last and were super lucky to try such a brilliant range – courtesy of Duncan Taylor! A fitting way to close our 2025 Whisky Show experience in London.

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Once upon a time, Highland Park was a ‘gateway’ whisky for me… more specifically the 18 year which opened my palate and senses to the character and complexity of a decent dram.

Shift ahead a few years to a period where Highland Park made to the switch to vintages and no age statement “Heroes”, “Warriors” and “Legends”… with the 1998 and Einar disappointing while the Thor surprising and pleasing.

Enter the 21 year old that is known by its vintage 1991. Introduced to travel retail in 2012, the thinking was as each vintage ran out, it would be replaced by the equivalent next vintage i.e. this one replaced the 1990 vintage and the expectation was by 2013 the 1992 would be released and so forth.

Except a funny thing happened along the way… for Highland Park, after a few years the vintage approach didn’t “stick”… quietly without fanfare the duty free shelves holding vintage whiskies were slowly replaced by age statements.

Which means our patient whisky host had managed to keep one of the few 21 year olds from the vintage marketing “experiment”.

As we opened this bottle that had sat patiently waiting its turn for nearly 6 years, talk turned to our varied experiences with Highland Park – good, bad, brilliant and much in between.

And this bottle? Read on to see what we thought…

Highland Park 1991 40%

Nose – Grassy, pine, spruce, sea grass or a seaweed salad, light citrus coming from behind, lemon flower bouquet, light fruity, inviting comforting nose, short bread, butter biscuits, vanilla and a hint of cloves
Palate – Islands, light leathery peat, very smooth and round, had some substance, chewy mouthfeel, creamy and buttery, yet a slight citrus twist in there too which added a refreshing element
Finish – Subtle nuanced finished, cinnamon spice

We really enjoyed it – very yum! And more importantly, had all those elements many of us once enjoyed in a Highland Park – character, complexity and just a darn good dram.

Even more remarkable is that it was full flavoured at only 40%. While none of us were tempted to add a splash of water, these days anything lower than 46% tends to come across as a bit “watery” – not so with this Highland Park.

We set it aside for some time and the revisit just confirmed it is a lovely whisky and a clear winner for most.

However when it came time to pair with cigars, this would not be my pick… I’d prefer to simply enjoy it on its own.

What would this set you back? It was last seen for about £120 on auction.

In our latest greatest adult evening, what all did we try?