Pittyvaich 14 yo James Macarthur’s bottled 1991 54.4% vs Highland Park 18 yo 1972 / 1991 Signatory #9017 56%
Pittyvaich 14 yo James Macarthur’s bottled 1991 54.4%
So distilled circa 1977. Right so.. it’s quite an extreme one. Concentrated with a pungent and thick oil, vegetal and sour, like melted plastic and margarine blended with bittergourd capsicums and chives. And because that’s not enough a slight cheesy note adds to the displeasure with a bit of lactic staleness. Cold cream on an oak board. In the mouth its all burning stones, radiation and untamed rawness. I’m sure there’s a niche for this but it isn’t me. 82 pts
Highland Park 18 yo 1972 / 1991 Signatory #9017 56%
The other end of the spectrum. Outstanding nose. Matured in a great old sherry butt, and the result is layers upon layers of flavour: Cocoa powder, old leather, an assortment of sweet and aromatic spices, dark berry jams, dripping muscat grapes, cedar boxes, patchouli and old honey jars with just a touch of must. And then it goes on with phenolic bassnotes of dry black earth, tobacco tins, coal, cold tar rising from the depths of the glass. And now, especially on the tongue, salted prunes, cigarette ash, mentholated amaro, lamp smoke, wet wood, and sea soaked jetties creaking in the wind. It’s strange coming from me but its what I imagine a perfect conjunction of sherry and Highland Park looks like. 93 pts
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