To be very honest, I've fallen a bit out of love with Highland Park since their overhaul a few years ago. The HP 12 was a staple in my house and pretty much was my "go-to," but I haven't replaced the last bottle I emptied months ago. I don't know if they are working the sherry casks too tired, having a problem with supplies, or cutting corners somewhere, but it's just gone flat. It's still nice and all, but it's not what it was. I almost prefer JW Black, these days. While I wouldn't say JW Black is better, a liter of JW Black is the same price as a 750 of HP 12. I like them about the same, so why wouldn't I go for an extra 33% for the same price?
The two moments where I really saw the difference was the night I finished up the last bottle of HP 12 from the old stuff and opened the bullpen bottle of the new stuff. Night and day. The difference was like the difference between listening to music with good headphones and listening to it on a transistor radio or through a wall: much flatter, and the bottle never improved with being open. I had a similar experience with the 18 but in reverse. I had a sample of a newly opened bottle of the new 18. I thought it was similarly flattened (but still quite nice). A few weeks later, I came across an old bottle of 18 for something like $75 in a Hill Country liquor store. I opened it up and, ah, that was what I remembered.
I also haven't been overly impressed with their recent NAS offerings. Magnus is thin and a bit insipid. Dark Origins was harsh and just sort of . . . weird. Valkyrie was downright disappointing and felt thrown together like a 2nd grade impromptu variety show held in the garage but without all the charm. Full Volume was pretty good, but it's been gone off the shelves for a while (and I missed the sherry, anyhow). I haven't tried the Cask Strength, but I'm not eager to drop real money on a bottle of Highland Park anymore.
You may have seen in the acquisitions thread that I picked up a bottle of Valknut. I remember that stuff going on sale for the typical $85+, but this one was there for $40. While it's not exactly a great omen to see the price cut in half or so, I figured it could only be a small mistake. However, it also might be HP's last stand in my house.
Has anyone else had similar thoughts or experiences?
The two moments where I really saw the difference was the night I finished up the last bottle of HP 12 from the old stuff and opened the bullpen bottle of the new stuff. Night and day. The difference was like the difference between listening to music with good headphones and listening to it on a transistor radio or through a wall: much flatter, and the bottle never improved with being open. I had a similar experience with the 18 but in reverse. I had a sample of a newly opened bottle of the new 18. I thought it was similarly flattened (but still quite nice). A few weeks later, I came across an old bottle of 18 for something like $75 in a Hill Country liquor store. I opened it up and, ah, that was what I remembered.
I also haven't been overly impressed with their recent NAS offerings. Magnus is thin and a bit insipid. Dark Origins was harsh and just sort of . . . weird. Valkyrie was downright disappointing and felt thrown together like a 2nd grade impromptu variety show held in the garage but without all the charm. Full Volume was pretty good, but it's been gone off the shelves for a while (and I missed the sherry, anyhow). I haven't tried the Cask Strength, but I'm not eager to drop real money on a bottle of Highland Park anymore.
You may have seen in the acquisitions thread that I picked up a bottle of Valknut. I remember that stuff going on sale for the typical $85+, but this one was there for $40. While it's not exactly a great omen to see the price cut in half or so, I figured it could only be a small mistake. However, it also might be HP's last stand in my house.
Has anyone else had similar thoughts or experiences?