The last Highland Park I reviewed was an old release of the official 18 yo that was put out in 2002. This is a much more recent release. Well, I suppose officially it’s not a Highland Park but an undisclosed distillery; but there are only two distilleries on Orkney and only one that makes its casks available to independents so you do the math. Anyway, officially this is a Secret Orkney. It’s a 15 yo, distilled in 2005 and released in 2021. It’s also an example of something we usually get only from independent bottlers: bourbon cask Highland Park. The distillery’s official “character” is associated with sherry cask aging, and high quality sherry cask Highland Park is indeed an excellent thing—see, for example, that 2002 release of the official 18 yo. But bourbon cask Highland Park is a truly wonderful profile as well and one that has almost never let me down. I always look forward to drinking it and so was very happy to find this bottle on my shelves while trying to figure out what to open this month. I think this was part of one of the very last whisky I orders I placed, back in the spring of 2021. I’ve already opened it and know that it was a good choice. Here now are my notes.

Secret Orkney 15, 2005 (56%; Cooper’s Choice; bourbon cask; from my own bottle)

Nose: A lovely mix of tart-sweet apple, peppery peat and citrus (a mix of orange and lime peel). The lime peel expands as it sits. A few drops of water push the peat back and pull out sweeter fruit (apple again but also Bing cherries)

Palate: Comes in as indicated by the nose but turns quite sweet as I swallow. Hot but approachable at full strength; oily texture. The salt emerges earlier with every sip along with some chalk; the lime gets more talkative here as well. Water corrals the salt and brings everything into better balance.

Finish: Long. More austere here. The peat expands again and picks up a fair bit of salt on the way out. As on the palate with water.

Comments: Just lovely bourbon cask Highland Park (and lovelier with water). This is still one of the more unique profiles in Scottish single malt whisky. I’m going to enjoy drinking this bottle down over the next month or so.

Rating: 88 points.