Home Tasting: Highland Park 1974-1991 17yo TURATELLO ITALIA (INTERTRADE?) 54.4%

A plain and dry Highland Park, which suits my taste. Highland Park HIGHLAND PARK 1974-1991 17yo TURATELLO ITALIA (INTERTRADE?) 54.4% ・Aroma: Extremely pleasant old character, a stimulating sensation that pierces the nose, clearly Japanese pear, apple, sudachi (a type of citrus), a fresh floral note with white flowers, Semidina, a diluted honey-like sensation, very smooth and pleasant barley notes, smoky nuances of damp straw and its smoked version, slightly tar-like, extremely complex. ・Flavor: While the mouthfeel has a refined texture, it's spicy and slightly tingling, with Japanese pear, apple, sudachi, a concentrated sensation, a texture that feels slightly numbing on the tongue yet has some chewiness, strong umami from barley, an earthy nuance with dampness, nuts smoked with straw, roasted chestnuts, tar, a dry but honey-like sweetness, richness and body present, a plain yet deep flavor. ・Finish: A long finish with spicy smoky and tar notes. ・With Water: The structure remains intact, becoming a gentler aroma. The peatiness reminiscent of smoked straw becomes slightly stronger. ・Overall: A Highland Park matured in a plain cask, showing what seems to be sufficient bottle aging nuances. Perhaps due to the moderate cask influence, it also has floral notes, a grassy (possibly heather?) plantiness, honey-like sweetness, and a relatively strong peat character, allowing the original spirit's personality to shine through. It has no hang-up, is satisfying to drink, and has a plain yet non-tiring flavor—so much so that one might accidentally finish half the bottle in a night. 【Very Good】 Highland Park 1974, 17-year-old bottled by TURATELLO ITALIA. All bottles marked with TURATELLO ITALIA have the same label as Intertrade, and are likely to be Intertrade bottles. With a less strong cask influence and a plain impression, it has grassy (heather?) notes, honey, strong umami from barley, and a unique intense peat character in its aroma. I was surprised it still retained such strong attack, but it's likely that the original bottling had a very rough, spicy character, which after about 24 years of aging post-bottling has finally developed into a smoother, more integrated texture. To put it bluntly, it's very close to a short-aged plain cask Green Cadenhead. While bottles like this are easy to finish quickly at home, since there's no stock left, I'll be careful not to overindulge and enjoy the changes after opening. #Highland Park (HIGHLANDPARK)