Highland Park 1973 35 Year Old Official Bottling for THE NUANCE GROUP #6194 49.6%

A Highland Park that has always seemed ready for tasting, it's wonderful. Highland Park HIGHLAND PARK 1973 35yo OB for THE NUANCE GROUP #6194 49.6% The aroma spreads vividly with apricot and mixed berry jam, light bitter chocolate and caramelized nuts, strong minty herbs, honey and tree sap, wax, lingering graininess, faint leather, a thick peat from the depths but not overpowering, powerful and complex, rich. Upon drinking, it starts with a smooth mouthfeel that expands powerfully, a powerful yet penetrating texture, apricot and plum jam, wax, cinnamon, nut cream, strong grainy umami that penetrates deeply, rich honey sweetness with body, gentle tannins that deepen the flavor, and a long, rich finish with stronger peat than the aroma. [Very Good/Excellent] This official Highland Park 1973, a single cask aged for 35 years, was bottled specifically for THE NUANCE GROUP. A pleasant sherry character wraps around the whole but is not dominant. As a result, it's easy to pick up diverse elements, making the tasting enjoyable and hard to finish. The concentrated, varied fruits with jam-like qualities, bitter chocolate, caramel, nuts, thick grains, honey, tree sap, herbs, leather, and peat create a complex and deep profile. The rich sweetness of jam and honey, along with the deeply penetrating grain umami from long aging, remain strongly present. It's full of power and truly embodies the greatness of the 'Giant of the North.' The impression is that the distillery's original spirit has fully expressed its strength in a good cask. Although I suspect it's a refill sherry cask, this is surely one of the masterpieces among Highland Park's official bottles in the refill sherry category.