Master whisky maker for Highland Park, Gordon Motion, said that “those in our Single Cask Series are, quite simply, the most exceptional Highland Park casks available” and that the cask was chosen for its “interesting and exciting flavour profile to offer something special for [the brand’s] whisky fans”. However . . . the bottle in my house at the moment is absolute SWILL and not even as good as some HP Twelves that I've tasted. My opportunity to sample this wonderful dram came about through a conversation with my friend who I have been chatting with about whisky for the past couple of months. I had previously introduced him to SMSW’s with a dram of Auchentoshan 12, which he found to be an eye opener, as his previous experience had been limited to blended whiskies and the basic gateway drams, which he had not been impressed by. Beautiful aroma, full of roasted sweet meats, honey, saffron, peanut brittle. Very little smoke and peat, but it is there - if you are willing to wait for it. Highland Park 18 is a mainstay in my cabinet. I have always taken pride in offering it to my guests (male and female) that have an appreciation for fine whisky. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Even hardcore peat-heads will not turn up their noses at a glass of this magic!

He added: “Some of our most outstanding single cask bottlings come from refill casks, as they have often previously held whisky for only a short period of time, so have much to give in subsequent maturation’’.Well, I recently got a bottle of HP18, and I must say that it is as superb as I remember it being over the years.

The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars. The nose is a restrained, moderate one. It’s light, but not actually subtle. A Sherry-driven fruity sweetness of plums, raisins, apricots and peaches is accented by a hint of lavender and a touch of smoke that is more burning moss than heavy vegetal peat. This edition has been drawn from an 18-year-old refill butt, which is said by Motion to harness notes of “sweet, toasted oak, vanilla fudge ice cream, roasted almonds and violets’’ as “floral peat smoke, cinnamon bark and spiciness” linger afterwards. Palate: Flabbier and lighter than I'd have expected from the nose. Similar base, honey, wood, lemon and non-sour kumquats. Salted vanilla ice cream (woohoo!) and maybe chocolate malt. The wood creates this great mushroom and earthy strand, and then helps to tighten up the flavors at the mid-palate. HP18 is like The International, an intriguing film with Clive Owen leading the way. The International offers lots of excitement with great action scenes but it's also a story that makes the audience think. It's like the complexity of HP18 combined with the sharp smoky edges that represent the banging action scenes in my reference.Balance: There is a wonderful transition of aromas and flavours between nose, palate, and finish. Pepper, spice, and fruit sensations all transitioned frequently but effortlessly, creating a complete journey around the whisky tastes of Scotland.