Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Spheric Spirits
Official website: sphericspirits.com
Back on the blog is Spheric Spirits, the independent German bottler that we have come to know thanks to its ‘mysterious’ blended malts, with two different proposals: a single cask from the Orkney Islands (try and guess which distillery it is…) and a blended malt that is in fact simply a teaspooned whisky, again from a single cask.
As in school with roll call, we proceed in strict alphabetical order, not before mentioning that both bottles are still available.
Spheric Spirits Orkney Islands 2003 20yo
Origin: Orkney (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 54.7%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-bourbon refill hogshead
Average price: € 180.00
First, we taste a single cask ex bourbon refill of Highland Park, distilled in 2003 and bottled on 29 June 2023 at 54.7%ABV in its natural colour and without chillfiltration. Outturn: 338 bottles.
So far, the Highland Park in ex-bourbon proposed by independents have excited us. Will it be the same for this one?
Tasting Notes
The colour is a light gold
The nose is decidedly citrusy with a fruit salad of yellow orange, lemon, cedar and a touch of bergamot. The characteristic peaty scent of Highland Park is almost a mirage, as to be expected after 20 years in cask. We detect a woody note like a gentle breeze, while the spice contribution results in a sprinkling of white pepper. Oleander and orange blossom define the floral side, while the creamy side boasts vanilla, eggnog, custard and strawberry cream. The caramel blends perfectly with a balsamic touch that can be traced back to menthol. There are also roasted chestnuts.
On the palate, the creamy dimension is still pronounced, with zabaglione, custard and orange cream. The whisky is really lively, dynamic in spite of its age, with the pepper contributing decisively. Zest of yellow orange, Oransoda and mandarin suggest that the citrus side responds blow by blow to the creamy side. A hint of heather honey gently envelops the whole, opening the door to a long, comfortable finish with custard, yellow orange and a hint of pepper.
Spheric Spirits hits the bull’s-eye with a creamy, hyper-agrumated Highland Park. The refill cask works as a perfect aromatic amplifier, also thanks to an optimal alcohol content, and the drink lingers on with a pleasantness that is rare these days. A highly recommended whisky.
Vote: 89/100
Reviews of Highland Park whisky
Spheric Spirits Wardhead 1997 26yo
Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 53.9%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-bourbon refill hogshead
Average price: € 250.00
Wardhead is a teaspooned whisky: Glenfiddich plus a teaspoon of The Balvenie. Glenfiddich’s whisky is not one that would normally knock our socks off, but tasting it at cask strength, after such long ageing, might reasonably yield some nice surprises. The distillation year is 1997, the bottling date, like the previous Highland Park, 29 June 2023, the cask a hogshead ex bourbon not first-fill, the outturn 318 bottles.
Tasting Notes
The colour is pale amber.
The first impression on the nose is of kitchen herbs (rosemary, oregano and thyme) with a light spiciness of white pepper. On a rather solid base of wood, not at all invasive and very well integrated with the rest, there is a sensory texture between sweet and fruity that combines with balance caramel, yellow apple, milk chocolate, kaiser pear and crème brûlée.
In the mouth, the whisky is very smooth, with notes of caramel and crème brûlée as well as peach and apricot. A hint of vanilla goes hand in hand with one of custard, while a touch of orange zest travels hand in hand with one of kaiser pear, with the wood less present than on the nose. The simply perfect gradation supports and enhances the aromatic ensemble. A sprinkling of pepper enlivens the symphony.
The finish, long and comfortable, sees custard, caramel and vanilla in the front row, and immediately behind orange zest and yellow apple.
It would be a little foolish to simply comment: ah, I wish all Glenfiddich were like this. Not least because if the 12yo base is a classic and consistently among the world’s best-selling single malts, it is hard to see why the estate should redefine the parameters of its core range. Certainly, this is a high(r)o profile drink that takes the characteristic aromatic markers of Glenfiddich whiskies and beautifully intensifies their tone, in a dram that leaves a vivid mark on the memory.
Vote: 89/100