The last two bottles I'd blindly purchased were both busts. Walking down the scotch aisle at a Hull Street ABC store, I realized there was not a name on a single malt label I hadn't yet tried (except Mortlach, way out of my price range). I was down to the 'alternative expressions' (e.g. Balvenie Caribbean Cask, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban), and not particularly excited about any of them. Not wanting to risk strike three, my eyes wandered down a shelf or two.
There was also the second chance factor. I wasn't exactly blown away with (recently discontinued) Highland Park 12, even less so by Macallan 10 Fine Oak, both of which are in Famous Grouse, which I knew I did like. Liked in the past at least, but would I still?
I went with the airplane bottle of Macallan 10: Fine Oak Series first, and it was just as I remembered...meh. They are supposedly discontinuing it, so they might be trying to just dump their leftover stock as they make the big switch to releasing 'vintages', rather than traditional age-statement malts. Good riddance.
As far as the Grouse, it had lost a step from what I remember, but still pretty decent. I realized I had probably never tasted it neat before, so my first dram seemed surprisingly unfamiliar. Lord knows what (or even how many) other malts and grains are swimming around in there, but I couldn't shake the notion that I should probably give Highland Park another chance.
The bartender at Can Can Brasserie had just taken the bottle of Yamazaki 12 off the shelf to pour my dram when I saw a black bottle hiding behind it. The picture on the label looked like some sort of spooky monk straight out of a Dan Brown novel. Give him a lightsaber and he could be 'Darth Malt'. Once I had finished the Yamazaki, I asked if I could see the other bottle just to know what it was. The bartender brought it over and opened it for me to take a whiff.
A dense smoked honey aroma leapt from the bottle, and I sat up straight like a Looney Tunes character when a cartoon ribbon of smoke tickles their nose. My first thought was of strong mead, but with the smokiness of a biker's leather jacket. Makes you want to start a fistfight at a Renaissance Faire. Yes. Yes, this is what I wanted...
I immediately caved and ordered up a dram. Spending a little more time taking in the aromas, finding some dark chocolate and black licorice. The smoke was less menacing in the tumbler than straight from the bottle, but still significant. A tiny zing of citrus at the end, orange zest I'd say, sharpens it up a bit. I'm in public, so eventually I have to stop sniffing my glass and drink the stuff...
The flavors matched the intensity of the aromas, and then added a few notes of their own. Mahogany in color and strong malt flavor, like a high octane scotch ale. Deep butterscotch sweetness, makes you feel a jittery sugar high afterwards. Much improved smoke flavor over HP 12, but still not all that peaty after closer inspection. Towards the end, the sherry cask influence announced itself with a dried fruit richness and spice notes. The sherry nuttiness with the dark chocolate notes reminds me of Nutella. Non-chill filtered, always a bonus. Texture thick and creamy, a substantial malt.
The smoke holds on in the finish like a barnacle. A cacao bitterness was left when the sweetness finally burned off, but no sting despite the 46.8% ABV. Having just tasted the serene Speyside-esque Yamazaki with its delicate complexity, Highland Park 'Dark Origins' was a brash punch to the palate, but in the best possible way.
Overall Grade: 91/100, A-
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