The Collector’s Cabinet

Highland Park 16 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky, The Collector's Cabinet /

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 16 Years
40% ABV/80 Proof
$100
Collectible (Previously Travel Retail Exclusive)

What the Distillery Says:
This variant of Highland Park was created exclusively for global travel retail and duty free markets and was first released in October 2005, it was withdrawn in April 2010. Highland Park 16 Year Old is gloriously smooth, sweet single malt with an island-infused flavour and a rich smokey finish.

Tasting Notes

Appearance:Natural colour, clear and bright
Nose:Sherried smoke peat, spicy
Palate:Rich, full flavour, smokey heather honey
Finish:Rich, long medium sweet then medium dry

Highland Park 16 Year Old has an emphatic honeyed sweetness on the nose with notes of citrus fruits and sea spray. On the palate this whisky tingles the front of the tongue then immediately makes the mouth water, leaving a rich smokey sensation.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Much more earthy and sherried than the 1994. Citrus and vanilla.
Palate: Not nearly as sweet as the 1994. Smokey and herbal/vegetal come to mind. A little bitter.
Finish: Dry. Again very little in common with the 1994.
Comments: This fella was discontinued in 2010 and replaced by the 1994 vintage as part of the duty free/travel retail range. I personally think it’s a very big improvement. There’s nothing about this that makes me want to drop the $100+ to scrounge up a bottle.
Rating: Average

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Four Roses Mariage 2008

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Four Roses Mariage Collection 2008 Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
53.9% ABV/107.8 Proof
$70
Collectible

What the Distillery Says:
2008 is the 120th anniversary of the Four Roses name. We’re celebrating with an exquisite limited edition small batch Bourbon – the first release in our Mariage Collection. From time to time, our Master Distiller will select a few exceptional barrels from our 10 Bourbon recipes and marry them by hand. He has married two to honor the day our Founder, Paul Jones, Jr., proposed to a beautiful Southern Belle. She replied that if her answer were “Yes,” she would wear a corsage of roses to the upcoming ball. Paul Jones waited excitedly the night. When she arrived, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He named his Bourbon “Four Roses” as a symbol of his passion for her.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, candied apple, and berries
Palate: Sweet and spicy, like dipping a sugar cube in a Szechuan hot pot. The flavor is all spice, candied fruit, and berries.
Finish: Very oaky on the finish and all the heat on the palate dies down on the finish. Impressive for a barrel strength bourbon.
Comments: This particular mariage was a recipe of OBSV aged 13 years and 5 months mixed with a recipe of OESK aged 10 years and 10 months. No, this is no longer in production. There were two iterations of the Mariage release over 2008 and 2009. Beginning in 2010 it is now a “Limited Edition Small Batch” release. That just means they are using more than two recipes per bottling. This one was really very nice and call out saying “this is what small batch bourbon should taste like.” I love it. I’m sad that mine is all gone. Given the opportunity you should try it.
Rating: Must Try

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Wild Turkey American Spirit

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Wild Turkey American Spirit 15 Year Old Bourbon, Bottled in Bond
50% ABV/100 Proof
Originally – $100
Collectible

What the Distillery Says:
Created by legendary master distiller Jimmy Russell and his son, associate distiller Eddie Russell, American Spirit is bottled at bond proof, in a super premium package, and limited to just 24,000 bottles globally. Bourbon is a true American innovation and the US Senate passed a resolution officially declaring September 2007 National Bourbon Heritage Month. Our American Spirit was released to coincide with this momentous occasion.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very rich and smooth with lots of cinnamon and vanilla. Water opens up the oak on nose.
Palate: I get a lot of molasses cookies and mint sprigs with vanilla. A little water really makes this one sing. The palate turns very creamy.
Finish: The finish is amazingly smooth given the BIB proof.
Comments: This is sadly the last of my bottle. It was almost gone and so Matt and I had to hurry up and review it. No more to be found around me. I challenge anyone who says they don’t like Wild Turkey to try this if they can. Plus, it’s bottle in bond! You just don’t see enough of those anymore.
Rating: Must Try

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Parker’s Heritage Collection First Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Parker’s Heritage Collection Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 1996 vintage
64.8% ABV
Limited Release
$80 to $90

What The Distillery Says:
Parker’s Heritage Collection is a tribute to sixth generation Master Distiller, Parker Beam, for his 45+ years of service to the distilling industry. Hand-selected by Park himself, this first edition has been aging in oak barrels since 1996 and has been drawn from the barrel at cask strength proof. This distinctive style of American Whiskey offers a truly extraordinary bourbon experience. – Best enjoyed with a splash of water.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Wild berry sweetness and caramel come through more than I would expect at this proof. With water I get coconut oil and melon fruit rind with a subtle hint of citrus.
Palate: It opens up with water to a lighter floral bourbon with hints of ripe fruit and licorice.
Finish: Water is a must, at which point this goes down nice and long. It’s very mellow with traces of polished oak and citrus.
Comments: This is not Stagg and at this proof this bourbon really needs a sizeable does of water. There were three different bourbons bottled in this collection for the first release and all are indistinguishable from the packaging except for the different proofs. This one was generally considered the less of the three. I haven’t had the others but this does stand out. However, I would expect more at this price point.
Rating: Stands Out

What Matt Says:
Nose: At first there are the standard notes you would expect from a bourbon (vanilla, caramel, oak).  Just under the standard fare, there is a strong note of apple cider sediment.
Palate: Warming and oily with notes of charred oak, caramel, vanilla and cloves.
Finish: Oak, oak, and more oak.
Comments: Maybe it’s because this was my second dram of the night, but I did not require the amount of water Richard suggests.  I found this one to be much more enjoyable at full strength.  There is a warming velvet complexity that collapses quite a bit with water.  He is right about one thing.  George T. Stagg this is not.  I’ve tried a few of the Heritage Collection bottlings and this is not my favorite.  A little above average, but only a little.
Rating:  Stands Out

Overall Rating:  Stands Out

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Glen Garioch 15 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky, The Collector's Cabinet /

43% ABV/86 Proof
Available in the United States and Europe – $45 to $55

What the distillery says:

Honey in color. Medium-bodied with hints of lavender and oak with a syrup sweetness. Long, mellow and very sumptuous finish.

What Matt says:

Nose: Heather, dulce de leche, trace hints of smoke
Palate: Clean palate with honey, vanilla, peat, cardamom, and what I could only assume is sherry.
Finish: Medium-long finish. The peat asserts itself here with a little alcohol and vanilla.
Comments: A very respectable Highland Malt. Fairly typical, which is to say good. Richard sent me this, so I don’t know much about it. I’m assuming that it spent some time in a sherry cask based on the flavor and color. Among the broad spectrum of all whiskies, I would say this is slightly above average, but does not quite stand out.
Rating: Average

What Richard says:

Nose: Tobacco, cedar, orange blossoms and a slight hint of vanilla.
Palate: Spicy and smoky but with a light bit of sweetness.  All of this is layed on a foundation or earthiness.
Finish: The finish gives me a bit of briney peat and alcohol burn.
Comments: I really find this dram uninspiring.  It was the last “blind buy” that I made, meaning bought without tasting or hearing anything about it.  It’s not particulary bad.  It just doesn’t make me want a 2nd dram.
Rating: Average

Overall Rating: Average

UPDATE 1/26/10: As this is now a discontinued version of Glen Garioch replaced with a 12 Year Old we’ve moved this to The Collector’s Cabinet

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