Cigar Spirits: Highland Park 12 Year Scotch Whisky

As I’ve said before, crisp fall evenings tend to make me want to pour a few fingers of scotch whisky. And so on a recent such evening I decided upon a bit of Highland Park 12 Year, a single malt from Highland Park, the northern-most distillery in Scotland.

Highland Park is one of seven Island Single Malts, which are technically part of the Highland Region. Island Single Malts vary greatly from distillery to distillery, and Highland Park is one of the few distilleries to malt its own barley, using locally cut peat.

The 12 Year expression was first produced in 1979 and has been received ever since to high acclaim. Available for around $50 a bottle, it is affordable, at least as far as scotch goes. Highland Park uses both used bourbon casks and sherry casks, which results in a rounded, balanced whisky, especially considering its young age for a single malt.

The color is golden amber and the nose is distinctly sweet with heather, honey, and fudge notes. On the palate, the Highland Park 12 reveals peat and smoke, along with the sweetness of honey, malt, and subtle tropical fruit. The finish is short and clean, with a good amount of smokiness.

All in all, this is an excellent whisky for the price. And the combination of balanced sweetness and smokiness makes it an excellent spirit to be paired with cigars. I fired up a Cuban Bolivar Belicosos Finos and found it to be an excellent choice. Although completely different, the Corona Cigar Company exclusive Little Boris was another great choice, leaving me to think that almost any good medium- to full-bodied smoke will go well with this versatile single malt.

Tasty, balanced, complex, and affordable, the Highland Park 12 Year is a strong contender for best single malt for your buck (the other, in my opinion, is the Macallan 12). Any scotch whisky fan should make a point of trying it. Personally, it’s a regular in my liquor cabinet.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys