In 2017, Highland Park was in the middle of one of their rebrands - at the time, moving into their Viking era. That year, they released this one-off bottling called Full Volume; it carries a distillation vintage of 1999, so we can surmise that it's at least 17 years old.
While Highland Park is typically known for adding a heavy dose of sherry maturation to their cask regimen, this release took a different path. They used first fill bourbon casks to show a different side of the spirit - not a bit of sherry involved. They bottled this whisky at a strength of 47.2% ABV, and when it was originally released back in 2017, the price sat around $100 to $110.
Highland Park Full Volume
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 100 (2017)
Age Statement: 17 Years
Strength: 47.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon casks
Details: Distilled 1999, bottled 2017
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (once blind) over 6 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: A light complexion - some classic ex-bourbon notes like apples and pears, lemon candies, vanilla, and a hint of grain. The smoky side is quite subtle, peat accented by charcoal, and we get softer floral notes, hay, and a bit of polished oak. Further subtleties of passionfruit and orange seeds pop up at times.
Palate: Light and buttery, somewhat malty, and we get honey and heather next. The smoke is again soft and charcoal-like, and we get a bit of cinnamon spice, oak tannins, and lemon with time. Guava and honeydew melon are accents; the oak grows in intensity over time. Overall, it's relatively mellow.
Finish: A touch of peat lingers, and there's a nice warmth and spice to this whisky in the finish. It's still sweet and somewhat distillate-forward despite the age, and we get fruits of lemon and honeydew, which combine with starchy hay and malt.
Final Note: This is a nice Highland Park whisky, but we did find it to be a bit mild overall. It's fun to taste ex-bourbon versions of their distillate, as it's a very different take from the usual heavy sherry influence, but this one felt just a bit middle-of-the-road and plain. Solid distillate, a mild oak influence, and some nice, typical ex-bourbon notes.
Value for this bottle is a little below average for the flavor in the bottle. We would have like to see a bit more oak influence at the age, but it's solid nonetheless. We can still find this bottle online for close to the original asking price, too, which is nice.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.76
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Highland Park reviews:
Review #960 - Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 2
Review #869 - Signatory Vintage Highland Park 'Secret Orkney' 15 Year
Review #752 - Cadenhead's Highland Park 'An Orkney' 6 Year
Review #729 - SMWS Distillery 4 Rare Release 'Take Me to the Chippy' - Highland Park 20 Year
Review #728 - SMWS 4.293 'A Cunning Combo' - Highland Park 19 Year
Review #721 - Highland Park 12 Year Single Cask - Flaviar Selection
Review #616 - Single Malts of Scotland 'An Orkney' (Highland Park) 12 Year Single Cask
Review #418 - Adelphi 2007 Breath of the Isles (Highland Park) 16 Year
Review #324 - Highland Park 13 Year Single Cask - Bourbon World Pick
Review #270 - SMWS 4.328 'Meets Expectations' - Highland Park 14 Year
Review #269 - SMWS 4.319 'From Coast to Kiln' - Highland Park 10 Year
