Highland Park 26 yo 1986 / 2012 Malts of Scotland #12052 54.1% vs Glencraig 38 yo 1976 / 2014 Signatory #4254 44.3%

Highland Park 26 yo 1986 / 2012 Malts of Scotland #12052 54.1%

Earthy! But its all clean earth plus associated phenols. Clean, ozonic and mineralic. With petrichor, violet leaf, gentian oil, little mint tea notes, salty chalk and cold sea air, narrow but sharp. 80s peatings in Orkney seem to have a different texture to it, giving a somewhat more diaphanous whisky. On the tongue it is the ozone, earthy minerals and saline driven by strands of green seaweed but a cottony white smoke is never far. Outstanding HP, lean and chiselled from start to end. 91 pts

Glencraig 38 yo 1976 / 2014 Signatory #4254 44.3%

One of the nicer floral noses I’ve had, yes it’s got little dried flowers, somewhat fruity and sweet like peony, and a dusty rice flour powderiness which brings to mind sakura mochi. But then it also has dried glue, old paper and the oxidised tang of browned apple juice. There’s also an earthy and oily green leaf oil like aged patchouli, some pollen too and also some citric fizziness. Very unusual and indeed exceedingly interesting. Its just so different and therein lies the pleasure but also the doubt – this will confound many. Well I like it, so its 88 pts for me, a great whisky.